I came to an astonishing realistation.
One that impacts many if not all the aspects of my life.
The realisation is that there is one word that is the linchpin to becoming all I am here to be, and the lack of it is the linchpin to me being all that I do not wish to be.
It is a word that I have never really resonated with.
A word that took me by surprise.
You see this came to me as the sun was about to crest the horizon, on a beautiful spring morning. And it came in as a flash. A light bulb.
Now when I reveal it, you will see it seems far from a light bulb word.
But I now see this word is so powerful if we harness it correctly, and by correctly I mean coupled with intelligence.
The word is discipline.
Oh anti climax.. I hear you, I do confess it took me by surprise, obvious yes, but still by surprise. But on this particular morning, this word danced out of my mouth with style and grace that I would not have associated with such a word.
You see, I have never taken to the word discipline.
I resonated more with words such as freedom than discipline.
But my realisation was that discipline is the key.
The key to:
- To observe my thoughts and when I slip into unwanted patterns to bring it back to presence
- To dance with a step of joy and not allow past stories to shadow the light
- To sow the seeds every day for the flowers I wish to pick tomorrow
- To fuel my body and mind with the sustenance that enhances it
- To allow love to flow with an open heart instead of clambering the for the safety of the fortress
- To turn right when I naturally always want to turn left
- To embrace uncertainty rather than cling to falsely perceived securities
- To allow the feelings that flood my nervous system the freedom to flow and when to know to say “move on”
- To realise that I am the author and editor of my story and that the pen is always in my hand
- To do my practices daily, as life is each moment encapsulated in the concept we call a day
- To see that comparisons are never in my best interest
- To follow my heart with an ardent conviction
So discipline I see is the underpinning of everything, and also where I have lacked it as it being the seeds I have sown for my repetitive patterns that are echoes of the past. Echoes that continue to shadow the moments. Whereas with discipline I can bring the surgeons razor to these patterns, investigate, allow and where needed prune or release.
I see discipline as the key.
Yet I know it won’t be needed for long.
As with a continued daily alliance with discipline over time, these tiny recommitments become carved pathways. And when that takes place discipline can rest on the shelf as it watches with an air of grace on the outcomes of its critical endeavours.
Now I mentioned before this discipline, needs to be coupled with our inner wisdom. As many prescribe to a “disciplined” life yet still are unhappy. It is not discipline for discipline’s sake. So we must check in with our heart and consider if even the “disciplined” actions we are taking are really the correct actions we wish to sow for the flowers of tomorrow.