1dis·ci·pline noun ˈdi-sə-plən
Definition
1: punishment
2 obsolete : instruction
3: a field of study
4: training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character
5 a : control gained by enforcing obedience or order
b : orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior
c : self-control
6: a rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity
Origin:From Latin disciplina teaching, learning, from discipulus pupil.
I grew up with a military father who, for the good and bad of it drilled discipline into our daily household life with my mom in full support (mostly:). In our household discipline came by way of a lot of prescribed conduct, rules, enforcement, governing, teaching, training, sometimes punishment and eventually self-control but always applied with a healthy dose of love! It’s something that part of me dreads and another part identifies with but it’s something I never want to lose.
Discipline has served me well and I am truly grateful to my family for teaching me how to be disciplined…but as an adult I have learned to let go a little and to choose what and when I want to be disciplined about. I often work with clients who have either a very rigid sense of discipline or none at all. It helps to reflect on what you were taught and evaluate if those lessons serve you well now, in your current lifestyle. If you are no longer a child then you have the divine right to choose how you want to live now!
Life is not a rigid set of rules and sometimes we need to loose self control!
In our move to Charleston from DC we have begun to live a less disciplined lifestyle. We both work for ourselves, can create our own schedules and be spontaneous…but in order to do these things we still have to have a level of discipline that enables us these freedoms. I am learning to re-define discipline on my own terms these days and THIS…
…sums it up very nicely! (image via Pinterest-original attribute not posted)