Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life

By Edward Lewellen

Life takes us on a journey. Some attempt to precisely plan their journey. Some well-meaning parents have a plan for every step of their child’s life, as if they’re able to see the future. Many others leave their child’s future to happen as it will. Of course, those are the extremes and there are many variations in-between.
One thing we know for absolute surety and that is one of my favorite sayings, “You plan and then life happens”.

Whether you consider yourself a Control Freak or one that lets the wind dictate your direction, we all like to have some semblance of mastery over our life. However, having control seems more of an illusion, a magic trick. Once we feel we have it, something happens that causes that feeling of control to feel like it slips through our fingers.

As I have lived my life and had the privilege of experiencing many others’ lives through my time as a Pastor, salesperson, sales manager, corporate executive, Executive Coach, and corporate consultant, I have found that there is a way to have mastery over the important areas of life.

By “mastery”, I don’t mean like that of a person controlling every move made on a chessboard. That is external control. What I mean is much more powerful, that of control coming from within oneself.

If you attended college, you were probably required to read “Mankind’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl. Frankl says,
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
In Stephen Covey’s book, The 8th Habit, he says something very similar,
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In those choices lie our growth and happiness.”

Though I know Frankl was unaware of just how profound the recent findings of Neuroscience and Quantum Physics would embrace his words, and I doubt Covey knew; in this book, Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life, I will share with you the how, the what, and the why of becoming the master of your life through maximizing the time you have between stimulus and response so that you have the ability to choose.

You will be able to choose beliefs. You will be able to choose thoughts. You will be able to choose emotions. You will be able to choose behaviors. And, you will be able to choose consequences.

This is why I wrote Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life! I believe it is every person’s ability and right to choose what happens in their life, to have Life Mastery. Even choosing to not be the master of their life is a choice and I want people to know they’re making that decision to allow others to be in control of their life.

So, as you read, I want to encourage you to think of specific times in your life, maybe now, that you can identify with the experiences I share and the changes people were able to make. In doing so, you will be inspired to have Life Mastery and live a fully functional life!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Edward Lewellen
• Release date: Aug 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370581702

Edward Lewellen

Dr. Edward Lewellen is President of Transformative Thinking, a leading edge leadership development and sales development organization that has trained and consulted with several Fortune 50 companies and executives with outstanding results. Dr. Lewellen has spoken to audiences for over 30 years at local, regional, national, and international levels. He has held senior positions within both corporate and religious organizations, such as CEO, COO, President, Sr. VP, and Sr. Pastor. Taking a unique path when speaking, consulting, and training, Dr. Lewellen always adds new dimensions and more value to topics that even the most battle-hardened listener has never experienced. In addition to corporations, he has been invited to speak to psychology and international departments of universities. Dr. Lewellen serves on the Education Board of the Veteran’s Coalition of North Central Texas as an advisor for behavioral and mental health, helping veterans transition from military to the civilian educational system. He also is a member of a speaking/consulting team for Operation Breakthrough, a primary contractor for Lockheed Martin. Here are a few of Dr. Lewellen’s most requested speaking topics: The 90-Second Mind Manager Making Change in an Apple Pay World Neuropathological Remodeling for Business Success Stealth Communication The Neuro-Science of Leadership and Sales

Book preview

Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life

Table of Contents

Preface

Praise for Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life

Chapter 1

Do You Feel in Control of Your Life?

Chapter 2

How We Lose Control

Chapter 3

Life Mastery: It Begins with Who You Are…Really

Chapter 4

Life Mastery: Weight Loss - Health & Fitness

Chapter 5

Life Mastery: Financial Security

Chapter 6

Life Mastery: Relationships

Chapter 7

Life Mastery: Professional Development

Chapter 8

Life Mastery: Service to Others

Chapter 9

The Voice in Your head

Chapter 10

How to Sustain the Life You’ve Mastered

Bonus Chapter!

A Special Report: It’s Mind-Set, NOT Skill-Set!

About the Author

Preface

Life takes us on a journey. Some attempt to precisely plan their journey. Some well-meaning parents have a plan for every step of their child’s life, as if they’re able to see the future. Many others leave their child’s future to just happen as it will. Of course, those are the extremes and there are many variations in-between.

One thing we know for absolute surety and that is one of my favorite sayings, You plan and then life happens.

Whether you consider yourself a Control Freak or one that lets the wind dictate your direction, we all like to have some semblance of mastery over our life. However, having control seems more of an illusion, a magic trick. Once we feel we have it, something happens that causes that feeling of control to feel like it slips through our fingers.

As I have lived my life and had the privilege of experiencing many others’ lives through my time as a Pastor, salesperson, sales manager, corporate executive, Executive Coach, and corporate consultant, I have found that there is a way to have mastery over life.

By mastery, I don’t mean like that of a person controlling every move made on a chessboard. That is external control. What I mean is much more powerful, that of control coming from within oneself.

If you attended college, you were probably required to read Mankind’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Frankl says,

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

In Stephen Covey’s book, The 8th Habit, he says something very similar,

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In those choices lie our growth and happiness.

Though I know Frankl was unaware of just how profound the recent findings of Neuroscience and Quantum Physics would embrace his words, and I doubt Covey knew; in this book, Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life, I will share with you the how, the what, and the why of becoming the master of your life through maximizing the time you have between stimulus and response so that you have the ability to make better choices.

You will be able to choose beliefs. You will be able to choose thoughts. You will be able to choose emotions. You will be able to choose behaviors. And, you will be able to choose consequences.

This is why I wrote Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life! I believe it is every person’s ability and right to choose what happens in their life, to have Life Mastery. Even choosing to not be the master of their life is a choice and I want people to know they’re making that decision to allow others to be in control of their life.

So, as you read, I want to encourage you to think of specific times in your life, maybe now, that you can identify with the experiences I share and the changes people were able to make. In doing so, you will be inspired to have Life Mastery and live a fully functional life!

Dr. Edward Lewellen

Praise for Life Mastery: The Fully Functional Life

Upon reading this book by Edward Lewellen I couldn't stop reading it from cover to cover. The book touches our hearts and stir our minds with it depth and relevance to a huge issue- why people are losing control of their lives?

Try to answer this question before reading the book and then after reading it and you shall realize my claim that this book is for every one of us a proven claim.

The analogy that came to my mind while reading this book is fruits. When we peel fruits and throw them away we throw away about eighty percent of the nutrients of the fruit and so little is found in the core of the fruit. Many people lose their lives because they allowed all their nutrients- time, resources and works for others. The outside world (the outer shell of the fruit) has most of the nutrients and people tend to throw it away. Many people find themselves in spite of their huge successes ending thrown away and only with an empty core remaining for them. They have lost control of their lives.

As I was reading this book I remembered a story of a young lady who lost her husband because he decided to marry the lady's best friend. He divorced his wife and decided to marry her friend. The divorced lady lost faith in all women in the world. She decided not to be friendly with any woman. She is filled with doubt from any woman. She is filled with the fear that all women shall betray her and she will be hurt again. She lost control of her life.

This is a book of life because it tackles real life problems that we all encounter. I strongly recommend it for everybody because we are all part of the reality this book exposes. – Ali Anani, Director General, Phenomena Communications.

Chapter 1

Do You Feel in Control of Your Life?

The story was familiar to me; He was a high-profile international business executive who had decades of experience and success. He chose to take two years away from his work to invest time with his wife and young son to create the close relationships with his family that so many people his caliber lack. Now, as he reentered the international business arena, he found unfamiliar thoughts and sensations within him. Is he as good as he used to be? Has he become irrelevant? He can sell himself easily when on the phone; his skills