On virtues and struggles of Perseverance and Discipline

per·se·ver·ance : continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition (Merriam-Webster Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perseverance)

 dis·ci·pline : training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character (Merriam-Webster Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perseverance)

We all have moments of looking at ourselves, shaking our heads and wanting to give up. Moments when we want to crawl under the covers, get into a fetal position and shut the whole world out. Moments when life gets tough, the brain refuses to function much and the body is an exhausted mess. Oh, how we want to give into these moments sometimes. And it's ok to allow yourself to feel that for a moment - but not more than that. Because while you're feeling all out of sorts and like it's all too much, you're taking yourself out of a whole world of options, opportunities and achieving your most precious goals. 

 And what I recently found out was that when I push myself at a point where I don't think I can do anymore pushing - I find a whole new reserve of strength and energy and even passion within myself. And that newly found reserve pushes me onward and makes me happy. As long as I remember this revelation, I'll be able to push myself forward. As long as I remember that pushing myself to get past exhaustion and do a 3-hour cross-training twice a week suddenly gives me more physical energy and the excitement of training my body hard, I'll do it. As long as I remember that pushing myself to get past the fog in my head at the end of the day and write, even for half an hour, gives me an immense feeling of satisfaction and urges me to keep writing more, I'll do it.

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments. -Jim Rohn

So what does all this have to do with perseverance and discipline? One is married to the other. If you want to persevere and endeavor in reaching certain goals, you will find the discipline to do it. And as long as you have discipline that guides your life, you will persevere in reaching those goals. But more than that, being disciplined will open up amazing new opportunities and even make you fearless. Because you will know that with discipline you can overcome so much, you can push yourself so far - and be happy doing it!

 We start learning the principles of discipline when we're children. Children need structure, they can't run around doing whatever they want. In the same way, we as adults need structure and discipline to become the best that we can be, to realize our potential. We often tend to forget this, or just not care enough about it, when we become adults. Yes, life can get in the way - but only if you let it!

The whole attitude of perseverance and being disciplined in your life brings an inherent satisfaction all by itself. A lot of people seem to be happy letting life dictate their actions and attitudes. They are happy to sit on the couch at the end of a hard work day because it just feels easier. But down the road, they become depressed and dissatisfied with what they do and how they act. They realize that they are not going anywhere, that there's an emptiness within them that is extremely dissatisfying. They realize that they are not able to reach for the stars that way - and isn't that what most of us intrinsically want?

 So get into the habit of pushing yourself a little more each day and watch a whole new world of satisfaction open up in front of you. Mold yourself into being the best human being you can be. Be disciplined about what you want to do, what you want to achieve. And in between the pushes, don't forget to take restful breaks and recharge, so that you're able to push yourself harder the next day!