Self-control
Self-control
Self-control forms the foundation of discipline and control within one’s own life. Self-control as much as it is about overcoming bad habits and temptation, is also about control within one’s mind, accountability of emotion and action against habitual wrongdoings. Self-control is easy to improve upon, wielding the ability to make sharp adjustments to your life and develop emotional stability. Self-control demonstrates faculty over oneself, how situations are navigated, and the direction you choose to progress in life.
Control Over Action
Control over action is to initiate self-control when it comes to habits performed. Whether this is conducting good habits or preventing the bad, self-control is to exercise the discipline of action or inaction when it comes to determining the most appropriate direction for our lives. Self-control alleviates the struggles against addictive habits and reinforces consistency in the undertaking of tasks which contribute positively to one’s life. If highly addicted to games or other habits which take over or negatively impact your life, or negative habits which poorly impact you, porn for example, self-control is to recognize this and enforce a resistance against it. Depending on the depth of addiction, self-control may take form in minor change, such as going to gym before indulging, or it could be exercising a resistance against it for a period of time which will naturally alleviate the addiction and increase your ability of self-control, giving more emphasis to how you live and direct your life. Either way, even the use of a little self-control used frequently will increase its ability. When it comes to good habits, self-control can keep you consistent. Tasks such as gym, reading, journalling, running, whatever it may be, can seem effortful. Self-control is recognizing that the tasks are positively contributing to your life so you continue to perform them. In this continuation, this continual discipline to perform a task, even when at times you don’t always feel like it, is an ability of self-control, just using it, will increase its useability in your life. This is where we see its impacts on ones life, if a person has control against the negative, as well as control to pursue the positive, then what life can you build for yourself? Even if self-control is not perfect to begin with just exercise it when you feel you need to and this muscle will build, therefore more control over you life and what you wish to do with it will build as well.
Control Over Emotion
Control over emotion is to wield power to determine our emotional states regardless of the circumstance. If we constantly fall into anger over petty annoyances, then this lack of self-control will only continue to bitter our lives and build increasing resentment. This lack of control over anger may even involve us in troublesome situations going forward, as we do not know how to steer away from it at times it is most dire that we do. If we constantly fall into the emotions we feel, we lose control of our day to day lives, we can also lose control of ourselves anytime, any place when an event triggers us. Thoughts too, we need to exercise self-control, or we delve deep into negative thought and just keep diving. If we are the rash actor of emotions and a clinger to thought, then we navigate as a hurricane and stability will rarely ever be brought about. Self-control is to be aware of your states of mind, or inner feelings and know that the inner you wields complete ability over them when we become the observer which sees, rather than the impulse which acts. If you recognize a boil in your heart rising and aggravated thought, take a second to see it, and make the decision if this is the best way forward. This is the foundation of self-control, being aware of your states of feeling and thought, then wielding divine control over it. The true essence of who we are, is the one who oversees thought and feelings, this is why in less than a microsecond we may determine what we think of next. If feelings are shaky, angry or depressed we can either direct our thought to elicit a more positive response, or we can become present and accept the feeling for what they are where they stand, being the witnesser of the feelings rather than letting them obtain complete control over us. All of this is an act of self-control. If you learn how to wield self-control over thought and emotion you become the tame awareness which can navigate with rationality, your mind becomes polished as you are now the one who runs it, rather than it running you.
Improving Self-control
Self-control is not difficult to improve upon. A study complete found after only two weeks of using a less dominant hand for all activities willingly, increased peoples levels of self-control. Those who would get aggressive when provoked prior to the experimentation, developed more self-control and maintained a calmer demeanor when provoked after this two-week period. What does this mean? This means that even minor acts of self-control stem a large impact. Even if you decide once not to play a game when your heart most desires, or to not get angry in a situation where you normally would, then this is an act of self-control, and this muscle is built upon making it easier to elicit going forward. Small incremental steps, or a dive into the deep end of personal growth and development. The first step is to get control of one’s mind, then one obtains control of their life and what they wish to pursue in it. Good, bad, the horrors and the joys, you can survive all of it, embrace all of it, if one truly knows how to sit upon the saddle in one’s own mind. Exercise self-control, and this muscle will build. Be aware of what you are doing, how it affects your life, and how it makes you feel, from here slowly increment control where you must, with time all becomes easier, self-control will be the bearer of control over one’s mind and action, allowing one to claim possession of one’s life entirely.
