I used to see discipline as:
– an unwelcome constraint,
– a negative, a drag,
– the absence of freedom,
– something to be fought,
– something to be avoided.
As time went by, my attitude toward discipline underwent a radical change.
I began to see discipline as a SOURCE of freedom, not the antithesis of freedom:
– It was disciplined effort in the morning that freed up my afternoons and evenings.
– It was disciplined study that allowed me to rise in my chosen profession, opening new avenues of opportunity which would never have otherwise been available.
– It was disciplined eating and exercise habits that contributed greatly to the good health I enjoy today, which grants me awesome freedom of movement.
I finally embraced discipline as my friend and ally, the stepping stone to many of the finest things in life. I realized discipline was simply a tool. Overused, harshly or ineptly deployed, without alignment with internal values, yes, discipline can have its downside. But that is the responsibility of the craftsperson not the tool; it is a poor workman who blames his tools.
Discipline is a high-leverage life management skill. The proper application of disciplined effort will turbocharge your potential, allow you to make the most of your abilities and so achieve your full destiny, your stretch goals.
Where will the deft application of discipline in your life allow you to achieve that which you previously only dreamed about?
Closing Quotes:
“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.” – Buddha
“If we don’t discipline ourselves, the world will do it for us.” – William Feather, publisher and author, 1889-1981
“No steam or gas drives anything until it is confined. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick, preacher, liberal thinker and author of 47 books, 1878-1969