Meaning and Mastery in Personal Transformation

If we are daring to be purposeful, there should be some meaning behind our personal pursuits. A meaningful life is the foundation of our transformation. If there is little to no meaning in our day-to-day and career, it’s difficult to continue in a healthy and balanced manner. The definition of “meaning” is a broad and subjective one for every individual. For the sake of this conversation, we are assuming that it is one that contributes to the good of the whole. When we understand our life’s meaning and purpose, we can begin to understand the importance of mastery in our personal development. One of my favorite quotes is by Aristotle, reminding us that, “Excellence isn’t an act, it’s a habit.” When we embrace the idea of mastery, we are committing to a practice that will lead to positive transformation. This can be a difficult concept to accept in an age that expects instant gratification and fast success. Mastery as part of someone’s personal development includes both the peaks and plateaus. It is learning to love the times with little to no growth that will lead to mastery in whatever meaning you are pursuing in life. To put this into perspective, it is like welcoming the level ground when hiking up a mountain. It is on these plateaus that we can admire the view, reflect on how far we have climbed and take a breath to prepare for the next stage of the hike. In our pursuit of mastery, these plateaus are important to successfully continue up the mountain. However, this is a balancing act for each individual. While we don’t want to get burnt out in our constant push for growth and transformation, we also don’t want to settle for the view from the recent plateau on a long-term basis. Meaningful transformation through mastery is not achieved outside of our daily lives. Our practice must be integrated into our regular routine, and to be able to do this everyone deserves monetary compensation that is a fair and living wage. We all have a right to a healthy and happy life, and by integrating meaning, mastery and monetary compensation we can allow for positive transformation in each of us. In our personal transformation we can then begin to see a world that shifts toward peace and compassion on a global scale.