Personal freedom & authenticity
We live in a time of transformation. More and more people are realizing that they have the choice to continue to suffer or to be happy, to stay in a place of fear or to choose love, to see people as separate beings or to believe in oneness, to wear a mask of a false identity or to break free and show the world their true Self.
What drives people to embark on this journey of self-mastery, self-healing and personal transformation is the desire for personal freedom and authentic self-expression.
The meaning of self-mastery
Self-mastery means mastering our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, no matter what happens in our environment and what situation we find ourselves in. It’s the ability to take control of our life so that we are able to fulfill our soul’s purpose.
Self-mastery also means self-realization, the fulfillment of our full potential.
The art of self-mastery
We are all here for a reason. Every single one of us has a unique purpose, mission and calling that we want to express in our most authentic way. But in order to do so, we need to remove all the layers of our subconscious programming & conditioning, let go of self-limiting beliefs, and heal our wounds.
This process is a skill and a craft. It needs practice and commitment. It’s the art of how we move through life, as fully human and fully Divine.
3 parts of self-mastery
The art of self-mastery consists of three interwoven parts: Awareness, Self-Healing & Transformation, and Living with Intention.
1. Awareness
The first step towards personal freedom is awareness. This means that we must first understand and become conscious of where we find ourselves in a victim role or unconsciously think, speak, feel and act in everyday life before we can change this. It’s the realization that we are the creators of our life and our reality.
To me, this step is the most important one, because we cannot change anything if we are not aware that we have limiting beliefs or a dysfunctional behavior, for example. Only when we are aware of our wounds, patterns, and beliefs, can we tend to them.
2. Self-Healing & Transformation
The second step is to take responsibility for our own healing and put our healing techniques into practice, in other words, to do the inner work. This step is all about rolling up our sleeves and getting to work.
Our task is to learn to self-regulate our emotional state, stop suppressing our emotions, face our shadows & triggers, and embrace vulnerability. This is the part where we go deep within to purify our energy bodies and also reflect on our progress & journey of transformation.
3. Living with Intention
Setting intentions is the third step to gain personal freedom. Intent is life itself. It’s how life and the Universe work. The Universe responds to our intentions, whether we are conscious of our thoughts or not. We create at all times.
This third step is about consciously creating, or rather, co-creating with the Divine. Therefore, the emphasis in this part is on being – just being, embodying our Divine self, living intentionally connected to the Divine – and then taking aligned action.
If you scroll down, you’ll find more information about these three steps.
A continuous process
These three steps or parts of self-mastery aren’t happening in a linear way. They are interwoven, which means that while we tend to our childhood wounds, for example, we may become aware of another issue that needs to be addressed, while at the same time we have moments in our life when we live very consciously and with intention.
Our healing journey is not a linear process. We circle back to things we thought we had healed, or another layer of wounding is being revealed.
It’s a continuous process of becoming aware of our emotional state, of self-regulation & self-reflection, and living with intention. Again and again.
1. Awareness
Awareness signifies having knowledge of something. The state of being aware means that we have become conscious of something. It’s the quality in which we perceive ourselves, our internal world and our surroundings. It’s the moment when the veil is lifted and clarity emerges. Maybe we were unaware of something until then, and suddenly it becomes clear to us. Our ability to perceive has changed.
Observing vs. ego-identification
This ability to perceive more clearly is closely related to our ability to be the neutral observer. As long as we are completely identified with our thoughts, our sense of self (the mental image, the ego), and our body, we cannot see clearly. Our blind spots will remain hidden from us. We need to take a step back.
How do we do this?
By becoming still and truly understanding that we are not our thoughts and not this body. The moment we embrace the pause between our thoughts and stop identifying with our mind or body, clarity can arise and true presence can flow in. This sense of presence or spaciousness that we can feel is pure consciousness or conscious awareness. That is what we mean by being present and aware. We have taken a step back from our thoughts and our body – our identity, our ego– and are able to observe without judgment.
The power of the present moment
Clear perception is therefore not only related to our ability to be the neutral observer, but also to our ability to be present. Everything happens in the present moment, our aha-moments & realizations, our healing, and our intentional living. Presence is key. Otherwise, we cannot observe how we think, speak, feel and act in daily life. It’s the foundation for becoming a conscious creator in our life.
Awareness & pure consciousness
To summarize, awareness allows for clear perception when we become the observer while being fully present in the moment. In fact, we are this ever-present awareness beyond our ego. Our essence is pure consciousness.
If you want to delve deeper into the topic of the present moment, I recommend the book “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. It’s on my list of recommended books.
2. Self-Healing & Transformation
When I wrote this chapter, it became quite long. That’s why I decided to dedicate a separate page on my website to this part.
Please continue reading here:
3. Living with Intention
Remembering our Divinity
When we heal, we not only release our old self – our old ways of thinking, feeling and doing – but we also change. Personally, I see this change more as a remembering of our true Self. We may appear changed to others, but it’s more like a revealing of our core soul essence and a stepping into our Divine self.
In the self-healing process, we discover our most authentic version. We transcend our limited self, which has been defined by subconscious programming and conditioning, and become this beautiful, limitless, abundant, powerful creator who’s one with Source. Through healing, we return to our natural state and come home to our true Self. We remember our Divinity.
When we embrace our innate Divinity, we also embrace being. After the remembrance of who we truly are, conscious being – our sacred beingness – becomes our overarching purpose.
Our soul purpose & soul mission
Being in alignment with the Divine and our Divine self means living in our purpose and fulfilling our soul mission. It may sound big. And it can be overwhelming, but we must remember that alongside our overarching purpose – of remembering who we are, embracing our sacred beingness, and assisting in the ascension of Gaia and humanity – we have these smaller and more practical purposes in our daily life. It helps to focus on the here and now to find a more viable and substantial approach that is more tangible and not just visionary.
A question you can ask yourself
The question “What is my purpose in life?” can be overwhelming. So better ask yourself, “What brings me a sense of aliveness & fulfillment at this point in my life?” This second question takes the pressure off of finding that grandiose answer for an all-encompassing purpose for your soul’s incarnation. Additionally, it brings your focus to the present moment, to life right now, and to where you are on your journey.
Whatever brings you joy right now also shifts the focus to your soul gifts. You may have different passions and gifts at different times in your life. As we evolve, so do our passions and gifts. We are multifaceted beings. Following what brings us joy naturally aligns us with our soul purpose. By accepting our gifts in the present moment, we express our ever-evolving purpose.
The sacredness of life
This shift in consciousness or walking the ascension path requires self-mastery – the mastery of all three steps. We practice and master being aware and truly present, letting go of our past, of past versions of ourselves and of anything that is not love within us, and living consciously & intentionally in the present moment.
Living consciously involves putting an intention behind everything we do. We live with purpose. We give meaning to everything we do, even to seemingly small acts like drinking a glass of water. We honor the sacredness of life. Our life becomes a living prayer, in every single moment.
Creating consciously
Setting intentions is an important step in achieving personal freedom, because intent is life itself. The Universe responds to our intentions without exception. We must remember that we are always creating, whether we are conscious of our intentions – our thoughts – or not. So this third step is about realizing what we truly want and consciously creating our preferred reality. If we want to become conscious creators or co-creators with the Divine, we need to live intentionally.
Awareness → self-reflection → intention → mental rehearsal → embodiment
Living with intention means bringing conscious awareness and attention to everything we do: how we think, speak, feel, and act. Without awareness, presence and the ability to observe neutrally, we are unable to self-reflect. And without self-reflection, we cannot learn from our experiences, mistakes, and the past, and turn them into lessons learned so that we can begin to think, speak, feel and act differently.
Through the act of reflecting on how we could think & behave alternatively, setting intentions in accordance with it, and internalizing it through mental rehearsal, we are prepared to actually think & behave in a different way. When we embody our intentions, we live with intention.
Important components of intentional living
1. Opening our heart
The stepping into authenticity and the embodiment of Divine love require the openness of our heart. When our heart is open and we allow ourselves to drop into our heart, we are able to feel and see with it. Our heart center is our connection to the Divine. It’s the portal to higher levels of consciousness.
When we wholeheartedly embrace our sacred beingness, we live intentionally and intuitively – strongly connected to the Divine. Our actions are inspired by and aligned with the Divine. We no longer try to force or control outcomes, but rather respond to life. We are in flow with the Universe and live in alignment with our authentic Divine self and our higher purpose.
2. Worthiness & wholeness
Feeling worthy means knowing that we are worthy of all that we wish for and that we deserve a life full of love, joy, abundance, freedom and fulfillment.
The biggest obstacle on our path of personal growth is remembering and accepting our worthiness. The root cause of this blockage is our self-limiting beliefs that we developed in our childhood. But the further we progress on our healing path, the more worthy we feel. We understand that we have been whole all along.
The more we peel back the layers of our subconscious conditioning and programming, the more we are able to step into our Divine worth. The Universe only gives us what we feel we are worthy of receiving. The embodiment of worthiness and a sense of wholeness are the prerequisites for a fulfilling and soul-aligned life.
3. A coherent & balanced state
When we are in a state of heart-brain coherence, i.e. when our body, mind, and soul work in unity and harmony, we are able to hold our intentions and elevated emotions regardless of what is happening in our environment. This relaxed, balanced and sovereign state is the art of self-mastery. We learn to master our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, no matter what situation we find ourselves in.
Being in a higher vibrational state and feeling joyful are signs that we are in Divine alignment. But we also know how important it is not to fall into the trap of emotionally bypassing and avoiding lower emotional states, for example through our gratitude and intention setting practices.
We do not suppress lower emotions or force ourselves to feel joy when, for example, sadness or frustration want to be transmuted. Emotions will always be a part of our life. Both the lower and the elevated ones. What is important is that we learn to regulate our emotional state, observe our thoughts, words, and behaviors, and return to Divine alignment.
4. Raising our energy & living in the present moment
When we purify our energy body and heal our past, we are able to raise our vibrational frequency, or rather, our vibrational frequency naturally raises as a side effect of our purification and self-healing process. Through awareness and self-healing (steps 1 and 2 of self-mastery) we learn to manage our energy in every now moment. Our presence evolves into a Divine Presence that is very powerful.
Our goal is to maintain our vibrational frequency and continue to raise our vibration through powerful present moment living. In doing so, we become a vibrational match to our highest timeline.
5. Not trying to manifest
Living with intention is not about trying to manifest our desires. Manifesting is still a form of control, i.e. trying to control an outcome, and desires can be based on a lack mentality. When we talk about becoming a vibrational match or what we want to magnetize into our lives, what we mean is calling in what is meant for our highest good.
“You don’t attract what you want. You attract what you are.” – Wayne W. Dyer
This magnetizing comes from a place of wholeness, contentment and desirelessness. A desireless state does not mean that we don’t have dreams or heart’s desires. We have them, but we understand that it’s about aligning energetically with our visions for our future and our dharma timeline, while surrendering to and trusting the process.
6. Maintaining a delicate balance
When we feel inspired to pursue our higher calling and be our true Self, we embark on a path that requires us to maintain a delicate balance. A balance between where we are and where we want to go.
If we seek a brighter and more aligned future, we cannot deny, resist or fight what is. In other words, we need to live in non-resistance to how the present moment presents itself. We bring gratitude and acceptance to our current situation while striving to become our most authentic version. Full acceptance of the present moment does not mean simply accepting the situation, letting it be, staying in our comfort zone and not changing anything. In fact, it is through this embodied gratitude for what is that we pave the way to our highest timeline.
We are being asked to remain open to how and when the things we want to magnetize show up. The key is to let go of control and surrender, while at the same time behaving and feeling as if everything has already materialized.
Furthermore, we are being asked to hold the vision of our future while fully accepting where we are emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually at this moment. We are aware that there’s still inner work to be done, but we don’t beat ourselves up about it. Our inner critic doesn’t swoop in to bring us down. Instead, our inner best friend congratulates us on how courageously we show up for ourselves. We love ourselves exactly as we are in this moment, while knowing our full potential which we can grow into.
To summarize, a delicate balance is needed – a balance between being grateful for where we are on our journey and holding the vision of where we want to go.
7. Moving from believing to knowing
Having an unshakeable faith is what makes us great conscious creators. Doubting ourselves and our abilities is a normal part of the process, but it creates more of it, thus more doubt. We need to become aware of what we truly want in our lives. This faith is not about believing that our intentions will come to fruition. It’s about knowing that everything we wish for is already here. We embody it. We live as our future self in the here and now. So living with intention is not merely a mental process. Embodying our intended life means feeling it in our physical vessel as we go about our day.
Of course, we will experience moments in which we fall back into old thought or behavior patterns. Therefore, it is an ongoing process of awareness, self-regulation, self-reflection, coming back into mental and emotional alignment, and continuing to live with intention. It gets easier with time. The more we heal, the purer our energy becomes and the more easily we are aligned with the Divine.
8. Always for the highest good
As Divine creators and lightworkers, our goal should be to set intentions that are always for the highest good – for our highest good and for the highest good of all involved, for all beings here on Earth and for Gaia herself.
If we want to co-create the New Earth, our intentions must be in alignment with that and not only serve our human or egoic self. Our intentions therefore become Divine intentions that create unity, not further separation. They foster love and hope in the collective, not fear. These intentions come from a pure heart and are in sync with the Divine.
9. Taking inspired & aligned action
The last important component of living with intention is that we do not control our next steps or force an outcome. Co-creating with the Divine comes from a place of patience and complete surrender to the unknown, where we are fully present and only take action when we are guided to do so.
Inspired and aligned action completes our path of self-mastery and allows our lives to unfold in perfect Divine timing and for our highest good.
