To quote Lao Tsu “A great nation is like a great man:When he makes a mistake, he realizes it.

Having realized it, he admits it. Having admitted it, he corrects it. He considers those who point

out his faults as his most benevolent teachers.” Striving for excellence should be a primary focus

in life. In Taoism, to achieve excellence means to achieve an advanced level of self-mastery,

to stop taking things personally, to think before reacting, to know how to listen to

criticism and learn from it. Mastering your fears and emotions are the keys to achieving happiness.

Taoist masters always talked about the importance of the words you use and the things you do,

because they become the “house you will live in”, which means they have great consequences for your

life, they can affect your relationships, your career and your well-being. To live happily,

you have to build a beautiful house from your words and actions and

self-mastery plays a major key in this. People who spend enough time to work on

self-development and self-mastery understand themselves in a better way, they can control their

thoughts, they know how to avoid negative thinking and they know how to learn from their mistakes.

Growing personally leads to more happiness. The first test of self-mastery is to be able to

realize, then admit your mistakes and then correct them. Oftentimes, this can prove to be very

difficult: we are blinded by pride and by the fear to lower ourselves in the eyes of others, so we

cover up our mistakes with lame excuses. However, by passing this simple but important test,

you can prove to be a mature person, capable of recognizing and indeed correcting your mistakes.

The second test is to be able to listen to and learn from the people who criticize you, who point

out your faults. It takes strength and discipline to be able to hide your anger and embarrassment

while listening to hard criticism, but this is what you should do if you want to learn from

your mistakes and polish your character. Moreover, Lao Tzu suggests that you also have to be grateful

when somebody points out your mistakes, as it is a great opportunity for you to become

aware of your faults and to improve yourself. To pass these two tests, you firstly need the

right mental attitude. You need to understand that your mistakes are not statements about

who you truly are, but are indicators of where you are at the moment. To go further, you need

to know where you are - what kind of mistakes you are still making and you need a proper map,

the “teachers” – the people who point out your defects. As a useful practice, stop for a few

minutes every evening and write down the mistakes you made and think about what criticism you

received that day. Make a plan to correct the mistakes and character defects that have been

pointed out to you. Follow it, and keep a record of your improvements. In Taoism, discipline is not

based on self-motivation, but on mastering your energies. If you are able to master your energies,

then you will have the maturity to correct your mistakes and learn from the criticism you receive.