Self-Mastery

30 Motivational Quotes to Help Strengthen Your Willpower and Self-Discipline

Willpower is what separates us from the animals. It’s the capacity to restrain our impulses, resist temptation – do what’s right and good for us in the long run, not what we want to do right now. It’s central, in fact, to civilization.

— Dr. Roy Baumeister, Ph.D.

My will shall shape my future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man’s doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny.

— Elaine Maxwell

This quality of self-denial in pursuit of a longer-term goal and, indeed, the willpower to maintain the denial, is excellent training for the boardroom.

— John Viney

How Behavior Patterns Can Change Your Life

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face … The danger lies in refusing to face the fear … You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living

As a musician and actor, Will Smith has built an impressive list of accomplishments. So much so that in 2007, Newsweek called him “the most powerful actor in Hollywood.”

No doubt he earned that distinction partly because of his multiple Grammy Awards, Golden Globe nominations and Academy Award nominations. Not to mention the fact that his movies have grossed over $6 billion worldwide. It’s safe to say he’s come a long way from the hard streets of West Philadelphia where he was born and raised.

What’s the Most Important Skill for Living a Happier, Healthier, More Prosperous Life?

“Though one may conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle, yet he indeed is the noblest victor who conquers himself.”
– Buddha –

What’s the most important skill for living a happier, healthier, more prosperous life?

Self-Mastery. Psychologists call it self-regulation or self-control, and it’s the ability to get yourself to consistently behave in ways that move you toward your goals rather than away from them.

  • It’s the ability to set a course of action and keep moving forward no matter how hard it gets or how unmotivated you feel.
  • It’s the ability to recognize and overcome your negative habits, so you can intentionally create the amazing life you’ve imagined.
  • It’s the ability to say no in the face of increasing temptation from slick marketers and global companies who care more about their bottom line than your long-term health and financial security.
  • It’s the ability take sustained action toward your goals in the face of self-doubt and the endless array of distractions imposed by more and more technology.

I may be overstating this, but I believe it to be true. More than any other time in history, self-mastery is the essential skill that can rescue humanity from its path of over-indulgence, under-regulation and potential self-destruction.