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Self Discipline - Cornerstone Of A Productive, Satisfying LifeSelf discipline is such an important factor in our lives. To live, work, grow and develop in life in a controlled way is the essence of self discipline. But if we look closer there is much more to self-discipline than meets the eye. Lack of discipline So what is self-discipline and does it really concern me? What are the effects of lack of discipline? A life where anything goes? Without a care or responsibility? Where any whim takes us and manipulates us in any direction it chooses? We aim for something but go after it in a haphazard way. Without real conviction. With a 'if it happens that's fine' sort of attitude. And if it does not, then 'oh well, we'll try better next time'. What else? If we don't discipline our self then we live without restraints, or we are so constrained we do not or cannot do anything. This can start a cycle of self criticism that can easily worsen the situation. Or alternatively, we act but we don't like the outcome and blame ourselves for the lack of discipline to pull it off. We reprove or punish ourselves for lack of effort, willpower, discipline or motivation. (Willpower and self discipline, what a charged combination that would be.) Again a downward spiral is in the offing. So the remedy? We can make the choice to be self disciplined. We can discipline ourselves or be disciplined by life (and others). If we take control we have input into the situation, our situation, rather than leaving ourselves open to the vagaries of circumstance or the corrections of others. With discipline comes the responsibility of restraint and control. With discipline comes the chance to exploit our talents and strengths. Put our values and virtues into practice. (Make them mean something, not just be something we hang our hat on.) Reap the benefits of our efforts driven by our motivation and confidence. Let our personality shine through. Why be shy when we feel good about our life. Feel comfortable in our own skin. We are feeling happy, content and satisfied by our contribution to life, so why not let that come through in our body language, our actions in life, the way we behave, the way we tackle life. Life, it's own education And how are we tackling life? We feel in control. We are using our will power to good effect. Our experience of life encourages us. Yet it does more. The feeling of being in charge of things that our disciplined approach gives us. We seem to be taught, trained and schooled by life. We have our sail up and life itself is our education. We remain obedient to our way of life. Our values and principles, standards and virtues, give us the firm and solid foundation that we need to manoeuvre our way through life. And the way we tackle life … Life is instructive. We are well drilled in our efforts and actions. We are comfortable with the direction our life is taking. We have visualized our approach and have enacted it well. Our momentum is good and increasing. We have the self control to take advantage of the opportunities that life presents us. We may be temporarily confused by circumstance, but our honed approach sees us past these temporary obstacles. This builds our confidence and esteem. We feel well motivated and justified, and happy to continue with our disciplined endeavours. All illustrate the value of self discipline. Is willpower helpful? Our willpower and self discipline gives us recognisable advantages. Our successes and accomplishments boost our confidence. Our confident approach is working. It is propelling our life along in our chosen direction. Our path is good and true. Our positive outlook to life is bringing its own rewards. We have always believed a positive mental attitude would bring us through. To give us that edge. And our adventure on life's front line encourages our enthusiasm. Encourages us to continue moving forward. Our active, productive and energetic life reaps benefits. But it needs fuel, too. And what fuel do we have? What energises us? What allows us to carry on with hope, with expectation, with need. With need for the good things in life. With the need of life's wisdom, life's knowledge, life's special moments, life's good graces. Rewards For what rewards are there for our life? Our flexible life. Not for us one of chastising, of correction, of strict obedience. Not for us to punish ourselves for lack of success or achievement, or less than upright attitude. We meet the setbacks the same way we do the high points. We meet them with equal aplomb. And all come from discipline of self. Discipline rules? Not for us an authoritarian approach to life. No tyrannical rules for us to live by. No crackdowns for us. Rather we have an independent demeanour. We realize not all things work to our advantage. But we take that in our stride. Confident in our path. Confident that we are utilizing our strengths to best advantage. Confident that we can navigate our way through life. Happy in ourselves. Comfortable that the discipline that weaves its way through our life gives us the control, confidence and wherewithal to maintain our live on a nice even keel. So much for discipline, what of the self … What are we disciplining? The world, others, or ourselves? To discipline ourselves? No better, much better to live with self discipline. To live with a disciplined view of life. Grasp self discipline - use it in your life. So our self, our character, ego and identity, they are all there in the mix. We are individuals. We live our lives. We don't like regimented or controlled. We do like discipline (within our own pre-defined limits) and control (again realizing our limits). We can live that way. If done right it does not infringe on the rest of our life, how we live, what we do. Rather it is another part of the mix we have put together. That we have woven together. And of the other elements, the other factors we can contribute our wonderful life too. What of them?
What a great recipe for living this life. A healthy self-discipline A healthy attitude to self-discipline gives us the ability to handle challenges, to guide our activities, to influence our decisions, to overlook setbacks and mistakes (that would otherwise have knocked us off course). This gives us the opportunity to manage our affairs, to direct actions in a concerted, determined and focused way. Allows us to regulate our emotions and keep our behavior in check. To subdue any negative thoughts, and allow the positive to come through. And with this approach to gain mastery over our life. To be able to explore, enjoy and experience all that life has in store for us. All in all, self discipline gives us the means to manage our life. This enables us to lead a life that is full of enjoyment and fulfillment. A life that we are comfortable with, more than comfortable with, satisfied with. A life of action and achievement, experience and fulfillment, enjoyment and pleasure. A life we can truly be happy with, both our life and our contribution to the world about us. Utilize your discipline to enhance your esteem, to enhance your life. | |