The Power of Self-Mastery

In two weeks, I will be embarking on a summer-long journey as a camp counselor at an amazing children’s over-night camp. This is my second summer there, and I thank God that I have a little more knowledge this time around.  During this time of preparation, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a camp counselor. Last year, I remember becoming the mother to fifty-six children for two months. It was an emotionally challenging journey, to say the least, but also a life-changing one. I loved our campers as if they were my own, I finally understood what it meant to be self-less, and I learned how to make light of any difficult situation. It was “the hardest job I will ever love,” and I could not be more thankful and honored to work at camp again.

As I reflect on last year’s summer, I have been putting together a list of positive characteristics that I want to polish up this summer. I want to master the art of self control, to be become truly selfless and patient, to love everyone unconditionally, to be encouraging and positive, to enforce love and unity within my unit, to promote feminine dignity and self-respect, and to master my own emotions by remaining calm and forgiving quickly. To sum it up, I want to become a true woman; a true woman of God.

I have asked myself, “How can I master myself when I am trying to master fifty-six hyperactive monkeys constantly running around?” Well, I will definitely experience stress, anger, frustration, sadness, and other roller-coaster-type emotions, but it is up to me to decide how I will react in these situations. It might be hard to vanquish some unwanted emotions, but I know it is possible with faith and God’s helping hand. Even though, I will not have much time to pray and go to church, a wise priest told me that our actions can be as powerful as prayer. So, each day, I am going to react to every situation in Godly patience, love, and respect. I can become a woman through my actions and God’s grace.

What’s the point of me sharing my goals for this summer? It is definitely not to make you feel like you need to start believing in God or become a “Godly man or woman.” Not at all. I just want my audience to strive for positivity, self-mastery, respect, and love in all of their actions. I want to encourage positivity, the ability to think wisely before we act, and the desire to serve our community by humbly loving one another. If we could all perform these simple actions and emotional choices, our world could be such a wonderful place.

[The last photograph was not taken by me.]