Discipline and simplicity

Another early morning reflection on simplicity and discipline before I start my day of work. I have always maintianed in my life philosophy the importance of discipline. Time after time it has shown that any form of purposeful discipline is rewarded in some way with positive results. Off course I am writing about self discipline where one exercise constraint and determination to enforce a habit or attitude. The discipline for example to sit down each morning to blog is a good example. There might be no insights for the day or one might have woken up late or feel ill but still keeps to a schedule of regular blogging. That is discipline! Discipline is a clear action done with consistency in a predetermined pattern. Why would one do blogging as a discipline? It might be to become a writer or simply to be self reflective and live more consciously.

Discipline in contrast to most efforts does not look at the short term gain but looks at the long term gain. There could even be a discipline within a discipline like for example blogging without going back to correct words and sentences in order to just let the words flow. Alternatively blogging can be done with the discipline of precision where there is a focus on ensuring language structures are correct as well as spelling. Both are disciplines although contradictory in purpose. Discipline requires conscious effort even though the act being performed by discipline might later become natural. I excercise Tai Chi and some movements become over time natural and yet the decision to stand up at a particular time of day to practice is almost alway a conscious one. Ultimately however discipline might become so enshrined in what we do that it becomes habit and within habit it becomes a less concious act. I we live with the aim of continuously improving our being of who we are then discipline is a very powerful toolset available to us in the accomplishment of that aim.