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Discipline...Ugh?

What's with all the negativity around discipline? The word pops up and most of us travel back to the days we were coming up. In those days, we messed up and were disciplined for it. Dang, am I in trouble again? Let's get the hell out of here and switch to the other connotation of the word: to have discipline or be a disciplined person.

Ok, that's better.

You fu&* up, Timmy!

When I tell people of my 365 days of yoga in a row, or the number of hours I write in a day, or that I workout 7 days a week, with or without cancer in these bones, they'll often say, "wow, you are so disciplined." The truth is...not really. Let's say peanut butter and jam sandwiches are your "jam." If you ate a PB&J sandwich every single day, you probably wouldn't feel like a disciplined person. Still, your sandwich eating would be pretty darn maintainable. Why? Because PB&J sandies are awesome. You love the sh%# out of them—no discipline required to choke those bad boys down.


That's where I, and many others get with a fitness regimen or writing or violin practice etc. We may not enjoy yoga quite as much as the sandwich eating, but it's darn close. "How in the blue blazes," you ask? Perspective and results. That is where the magic lays her pretty little head. Ongoing yoga for me, means: no back pain, better sleep, more energy, extra lung capacity, increased flexibility and strength. That is a ton of positive jazz in the plus column, baby!

Added together, it becomes super duper easy to haul this Black ass of mine to the yoga mat—day after day, Bubba. Suddenly, a high level of discipline is not required. I see the results and I'm crystal clear as far as perspective.

I've found where many people have trouble with a fitness regimen is they start out with the goal of..."I wanna lose twenty pounds." If they don't see pounds falling away within two weeks, they get discouraged. They don't feel disciplined enough to carry through. If I mention all the benefits of fitness, say; increased strength, increased bone density, better sleep, more vim and vigor and a bounce in the step, the eyes remain bored. A silence falls on the conversation until finally, "Yeah, but I wanna lose twenty pounds."
Discipline is everything!



It's tough to rock discipline when the goal is askew, and perspective is beyond your clutches. If they add up the plus column beebop, then discipline becomes so much easier. Research the results, rock that perspective, then put in the work. (Which eventually becomes play). Do this and your buddies and gal pals will holler, "Dang, Cat, you are one discipline muthafu#%a!

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