Do you struggle with discipline?

Aug 10

Discipline, in its truest sense, is actually discipleship. It means devoting yourself to something which achieves, or brings about a higher purpose or outcome.

Often we associate discipline with punishment. As a result of the dual use of the word & also because when we had our earliest experiences of discipline, it may have felt like a punishment - we had to stop doing something we liked (like not getting a second serve of ice cream or turning off the TV when it was time to go to bed), we had to do something we didn't like (like brushing our teeth) or our parents might have had harsh words with us in relation to exercising discipline.

So we can recognise that it's actually our 2-5 year old self that rebels against discipline. You may have a sense of "I don't want to" or get a thrill from avoiding discipline - staying up late bingeing Netflix for example. There's no parent telling us we can't anymore, but we're still reacting to those early experiences.

When we reframe discipline as devotion, or discipleship to a greater good, we bring our attention away from that which we may be losing (another hour of TV for example) in favour of that which we are gaining (a good night's rest & an energetic start to the following day, for example). Rather than a punishment or restriction, our discipline brings us better experiences.

We may devote ourselves to our health by exercising regularly (even though it may be hard at times), or by making healthy choices or by going to bed a little earlier. When we practice discipleship with our meditation practice, we gain the higher experience of a calmer, clearer, more enjoyable experience of life, a more expansive awareness, a deeper connection to ourself & all things.

I encourage you to explore your relationship with discipline & see to what extent a reframe around the higher value to discipline brings, makes it easier for you to bring some discipline to the areas of life you've felt called to change.

What higher experience might be available to you in your energy levels, your health, your relationships with a little more discipleship?