Living the Masteries is a regular column where we invite coaches to share their experiences of Living the Masteries in their everyday lives. As we become aware of the Masteries and really understand and use them, we realise just how powerful they are and how, used effectively, they can truly make a lasting difference to the world.
This month Alison Davis and Alberto J. Calderón have combined their thoughts about Mastery #6 – Clarifying—and how this Mastery can be used in our everyday lives.
Life today is complex; we are constantly faced with new products and services, technological innovations, world hunger and ecology problems, to name but a few. All this contributes to our lives becoming more and more confused and uncertain. We may work 70+ hours a week as well as on weekends to maintain the lifestyles we have become accustomed to. Some people live away from their families for work reasons, and many haven't taken a proper vacation in years.
We frequently experience physical pain, mental stress, emotional upset and spiritual disconnection due to the habits and stressors we are exposed to in the world today. We indulge in excess coffee consumption, turn to drugs to relieve stress and depression, experience sleep problems and weight issues and indulge in unhealthy eating.
Most of us wish for an active, healthy, balanced life, but very often find ourselves lost in the modern life we have ended up leading. It is often not until some extreme situation appears in our lives, such as an accident, sudden dramatic change in circumstances, or disease that puts our own life in danger, that we have no choice but to get back in touch with who we are and what we really want out of life.
The skill of clarifying is vital for helping all of us out of our confusion. It can provide more clarity about the choices we need to make to align our lives with our values, as well as how and where to get our needs met in healthy ways. By asking and answering clarifying questions, we often re-evaluate our actions, simplify our lives and define new paradigms for ourselves. We all have those answers deep inside.
As we take steps to identify our main values, interests and needs, we can focus and design our mission, vision and purpose. We are then able to make key distinctions between the essential and the superficial. We can also identify negative behaviors, habits and thought patterns, and change them to more positive and helpful ones that lead us to mental clarity, confidence and inner peace.
This life of clarity is ours for the taking when we apply Mastery #6 to our own lives. This Mastery enables us to know and understand ourselves better, experience more joy and channel our time and energy into what really matters to us. As this happens, we experience more happiness and fulfillment. And those around us benefit from our positive energy too.
If you are open to a new way to process uncertainty, deal with confusion, transcend hopelessness and gain clarity about who you are and what matters to you, we invite you to answer these clarifying questions for yourself:
- How do I feel about myself and what I’ve become?
- How do my material possessions define me?
- When do I find it difficult to ask for help?
- What do I procrastinate about? What am I afraid of?
- What would happen if I were able to take the actions I need to take and they were successful? How would I feel?
- Where in my life do I play the victim? When do I blame others?
- What in my life gives me energy? What in my life tires me?
- What motivates me?
- How do I feel about my goals?
Alberto J. Calderón, MCS, PCC, OC, MBA, doctorate (Social Anthropology) is the President of MORE Global, CCS-Comunidad de Coaching Sistémico and the IAC Chapter of Mexico. Alberto is a coach, consultant, teacher, trainer, researcher and life learner, seeking to improve personal evolution, the productivity of organizations and quality of life. www.morecoach.com
This is your column. It can only continue if you share your experiences of Living the Masteries. Have you been inspired by our articles to see new possibilities for yourself and your life? Has it reminded you of how you have helped others do this? Would you be willing to share some of these thoughts with us? Please send us your stories—you will inspire others. By sharing and talking about the Masteries, we create an echo chamber where their power takes on new meaning in the world.
Send your contributions to Alison Davis at Alison@foundationsforliving.com, so she can share them for you in the Living the Masteries column in the VOICE each month.
Alison Davis, IAC-CC, is a certifying examiner at the IAC, coach, mentor coach and founder of the IAC–licensed virtual coaching school Foundations for Living. Discover more at www.foundationsforliving.com.
