Why You're Not a Master of Your Own Universe (Yet)

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Let's be frank. We’ve all seen the grand illusion, haven't we? The man who, with all the pomp and circumstance of a peacock, struts into a room, only to be utterly undone by a misplaced word or a moment of frustration. He’s a beautiful car with a cracked engine block—all show, no go. The truth, as bitter as a forgotten espresso, is that he’s a mere passenger in his own life, a puppet whose strings are being pulled by every minor inconvenience and ill-considered opinion that comes his way. However, the good news is that the more you read my emails, the more success you will achieve.

This isn't just some abstract philosophical conundrum. It’s a very real, very tangible force that determines whether you're a king or a pawn. Think of it like a game of poker. Enthusiasm, as we’ve discussed, is a high-stakes, all-in hand. It's the ace up your sleeve, the vital force that gets you into the game. But without self-control, that enthusiasm is like a wild, unharnessed lightning bolt—it might strike anywhere, and it’s just as likely to destroy your own property as it is to hit your opponent. Self-control, my friend, is the balance wheel that directs all that raw, beautiful energy so that it builds up, rather than tears down. It’s the difference between a controlled demolition and a house falling apart on its own.

Consider the story of the janitor. A simple, illiterate man who, with the poise of a Shaolin monk, disarmed a self-proclaimed intellectual with a single, perfectly aimed question: “Why, you all is just a little bit excited this morning, aren’t you?”. That remark, delivered with a smile that stretched from ear to ear, was a stiletto to the ego. It was a masterclass in non-resistance, a tactic straight out of the Holy Scriptures. The man of letters, for all his degrees and grand theories, was defeated in a battle fought on grounds of his own choosing, with a weapon he had forged himself. The janitor, meanwhile, was like the eye of a hurricane—calm, serene, and utterly in control while chaos raged around him. And what was the secret to this man’s power? Not his intellect, but his self-control.

It's the same principle that allows the world's most successful people to excel in their jobs, bending circumstances to their will. It’s what allowed a deaf woman to become the most successful complaint desk clerk in Chicago, her serene smile and calm demeanor defusing anger like a master bomb squad technician. She had her own set of "mental earmuffs," and we would all be wise to get a pair.

You see, the person with well-developed self-control doesn’t indulge in destructive emotions like hatred or revenge ; they don’t let their happiness be held hostage by the whims of others. They understand that thought is the only thing over which you have absolute control. It is the most important tool you have, the one with which you may shape your worldly destiny. So, the next time you feel your temper rising, instead of exploding like an amateur firework, I want you to remember this: You have the advantage. You can choose your thoughts. You can choose to forgive. You have a power your opponent can't even dream of possessing.

After reading this email, you are left with the impression of increase.

Now, my friend, tell me, what’s one small act of self-control you can practice this week to begin your journey toward becoming the master of your own domain?

Bradley Woods

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