Self-Mastery and Measured Pleasure

Divorce is such a great time to re-evaluate important aspects of your life. Wipe the slate clean and decide what you want to change about yourself. We've talked before about the idea of "re-inventing" yourself at this critical juncture.

Did you know that true happiness comes in self-mastery and measured pleasure?

Because I believe this statement is true, I found that as I adjusted to being single I wanted to exercise more discipline in all parts of my life. I figured if happiness comes from obedience and self-mastery, and I wasn't happy, then I needed to exercise more self-discipline and try harder to be obedient.

As I thought about the long years in my first marriage that could have resulted in far more unhappiness and harm to my spirit than I actually experienced, I realize it's because I channeled my focus and attention into a well-disciplined schedule, great habits, self-restraint, and posted boundaries to what I allowed myself to think and do--and it kept me reasonably happy as I stayed as long as I feel I was meant to stay.

Goes to show that even though you may not always be able to control your circumstances, you can control your response to them. Exercising self-mastery and measuring your pleasure is a way to develop yourself while you're waiting for life to play out.

It's a way to turn lemons into lemonade!

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