he Mastery Of Self We do everything for a reason. The reason behind any act is, for the most part, unconscious. If we want to change a behaviour we need to identify the reason, the underlying objective, and examine it. We need to examine it to determine whether this objective, this assumption, supports us in what we want to do now. Most of the beliefs, or rules, that govern our behaviour now, were formed in early childhood. They have become predominantly unconscious beliefs and their effect is to dictate the way we respond. Most of these beliefs continue to support us well, but some have long outgrown their value. My baby son Arthur, does not yet know that touching a hot stove is painful. At some point he will burn himself and he will start to form a set of beliefs about hot things that will, by governing his behaviour, protect him from getting burnt. He won't necessarily remember these early experiences with heat, but his new beliefs will continue to guide him for the rest of h...
