It’s important, these days, to develop some level of discipline to protect us against the onslaught of toxins and addicting chemicals we face day in and day out, both in our food supply and in our environment around us. Every day we’re out in the world, obviously being met by distractions at work, at the local store, while driving our cars, and while watching TV, all of which tempt us with unhealthy foods, and unhealthy behaviors.
We all have those “good intentions” when we first start striving after a healthy life style and we manage to stick to it for a while and then we sabotaged. You probably find that everything is OK when you are at home, but as soon as you go to work and you become susceptible to this and that and other kinds of things, then you need to start looking at this particular question… “How can I not be influenced by that suggestive environment and be like I am at home where I can actually get things done, and I can actually take action on those things that are good and healthy for me”.
One of the most important things about discipline is that you have to be able to get yourself to take action. That’s where it all starts. For example, you brush your teeth every day, you know how to start and drive your car, you know how to put gas in the car – these are all disciplines, these are things you are doing every day. You know how to go out and buy food, you lock your doors, these are disciplines, actions you are taking every day. When it comes to discipline, it’s about that initial drive and strive to take the action.
There’s a conflict somewhere out there in the general mindset of our society, where some people feel that they don’t want any part of discipline because they just want to feel free to do whatever they want. But in fact, discipline actually creates freedom. It’s through the disciplines that you practice every day, these very simple little things that you do every day, like a ritual, that creates freedom in your life.
Overtime, these little disciplines that we implement into our lives, when you start stacking them on top
of each other, what happens is that you get more done with less stress and concern, in a much shorter time, which actually gives you more freedom! That’s what we all want. Discipline CREATES freedom.
Everybody, at some level suffers from a lack of discipline, maybe you go to bed sometimes without brushing your teeth – that’s an example of a lack of discipline. But what actually creates us is our CONSISTENCY- with our basic daily habits, like brushing our teeth, if we miss a day, tomorrow more than likely, we’ll be right back on top of it. If we miss doing a daily chore for 2 days, we’ll probably be right back on top of it 2 days later, and if we miss a week, we’ll be right back on top of it a week later. The consistency is the key. Our consistent actions is what makes us, and creates us.
By the way, this is we can attain health – discipline is the answer. We don’t have to take on a whole 5 hour program, plus this and that and the other thing, mixed in different combinations, counting calories, how to do the exact amount of exercise to burn such and such amount of calories etc., etc. etc.
That stuff is designed to confuse us and complexify something that is totally simple.
Health is simple, illness is complex. Just look what’s going on in hospitals – that’s complex. It’s much easier to take a preventative approach, doing a few simple actions each and every day. Also, what a difference in the stress level as well. All you have to do are small, consistent things every day.
We’ve all heard that knowledge is power, but really it is only POTENTIAL power. It’s only when you act on that knowledge that it becomes something physical.
It’s now possible educate ourselves in the field of health sciences today in a way that was never possible before – via the internet. It’s when we ACT on this knowledge that we learn, that’s when the results start to come, when the “magic” starts to happen. The key is to “do it NOW!”. Where our attention is going, our energy will soon be flowing. If we can keep ourselves directed, and on point, what happens is that pretty soon our actions will follow. That’s the key piece.
As you start putting these disciplines together, you create momentum. That’s the key word. The reason you brush your teeth every morning is because you have momentum – you may have 15,000 days behind you when you have brushed your teeth, and my guess what’s going to happen today is that you’re going to brush your teeth again! That momentum has an affect where it forces us into action.
As you build that momentum, as you build those little steps, as you develop new disciplines that are in alignment with what your strengths are, you change your identity.
This is working with our strengths and avoiding our weaknesses. Don’t waste your time spending years working on your weaknesses, concentrate on your strengths and give them all your attention.
Just start by doing all the little things, the little actions in the areas that you know you can do it, where your strengths lie. By getting that momentum behind you, it will bring about that shift in your identity. This will help you realize “Yep, I have the discipline!”, “I am able” and “I can do it”. Then you will be able to stick to your healthy lifestyle and implement all the healthy techniques and they will seem like second nature in no time. Don’t get bogged down by what you feel you SHOULD do, just choose those small changes you know you CAN do and then JUST DO IT!!
