DISCIPLINE

I wish to speak of the balance between having and pursing dreams, and living your life as a responsible adult. You can veer off to one side or the other, but you will probably have a less stressful and more fulfilling life, if you will learn to achieve balance, if you will allow yourself the active pursuit of your dreams, and yet also be firmly grounded in the way things are in your world, even as you strive to change them.

If you go too far to the side of acceptance, you can become jaded and cynical, thinking that there is nothing you can do to change your current situation, that you will never fulfill any fantastic dreams, and that life is a dull affair indeed.

If you go too far on the side of dreams, you may live very precariously. And although this may be an exciting life, it may also require that you spend too much time in crisis, averting disaster at the last moment, just barely able to make the rent payment and meet your obligations. Or you may even plunge yourself into disaster by ignoring things which require your attention, such as finances, running up debts in support of your dreams, and then having to bear the burden.

What if you were, instead, to allow yourself a nice mix of the two. What if you were to realize, fully, that your actions have consequences, and that these
consequences cannot be dreamed or wished away. For it is through these actions and living with the consequences that we learn and grow.

Do not expect out of life that you can, for example, run up debts and not have to make the payments, any more than you can overeat and overdrink, and then not deal with the excess weight and resultant addiction.

Actions do have consequences. And knowing this, you will do well to impose discipline in certain areas of your life, a discipline which will provide a healthy
foundation for your life, a discipline which will simply take care of certain mundane matters so that you will have time and energy to focus your attention on those things which bring you deep satisfaction and fulfillment, rather than continually dealing with crises in areas which you do not handle well.

Today, take an honest inventory of those areas of your life which you know to be dysfunctional, those things which seem to be continually getting you into trouble, causing you conflict. These areas will normally revolve around money, sex or food. Take a look at whether you are in the habit of overindulging in some ways, and paying the price later, and if so, whether it is getting you in trouble. Procrastination is also a very common area which creates crises where none need exist. And for all of this, the antidote is discipline: regular application of discipline and restraint in order to bring some area of your life under your control.

Is it not interesting, that you go through your life focusing on how other people and events control your life, while at the same time completely ignoring the control you truly could be exerting over your life, recognizing those things you could do which will have a direct impact?

First, control those areas of your life that you can, as we have just discussed. Get your house in order. Be very honest with yourself about the way things are, and deal with your life as it exists today. Begin cleaning up the messes you have created. Accept and understand your life fully, and set to work to right it. Put in place the disciplines you need to put in place to do this. And importantly, stop all future destructive action in this regard.

Now, turn to your dreams. Now, take a look at what you truly want in your life. Yes, there is likely to be a large separation between the two, if you have been out of control. And it may take some time to set it right. But it can be done. And if you will undertake it, the universe will kick in and support your efforts.

You are creating the atmosphere in which your life revolves. If you are out of control and ignoring the chaos you are creating, it will continue to influence your life. If you are looking it square in the eye and bringing it under control, it will lessen over time, and go away altogether if you continue in your efforts.

And as this happens, as the chaos grows smaller and smaller, and is finally completely under your control, you will have opened up a space in your life for your dreams to germinate and grow in great beauty without requiring chaos as the soil. You will have opened up a space in which your dreams can grow and thrive in the soil of order, self respect and discipline. And this creates a beautiful garden indeed.

For the self respect, the discipline springs out of self love. So much of the chaos we create for ourselves is out of a lack of respect and caring for ourselves, not thinking ourselves worthy of the attention and focus it takes to create an ordered life.

Give yourself that time, that attention. Set it as your highest priority. Do not procrastinate in doing things which are for you. Nurture this soil, the soil of your self respect, by giving it focus and attention.

And then, think of the free time you would have, if you had an ordered life, if you knew where everything was, if things were done in a timely fashion and there were no crises. Then take that newly found time and spend it on things which matter to you, perhaps on your art, perhaps on your family. Whatever is near and dear to your heart, and which moves you closer to your dreams. Focus mental energy on your dreams, intending them, and working toward them in small ways every day.

When you have opened up this space in an ordered life, and then put your dreams inside and allow them to begin to grow through real action in a positive direction, it creates an irresistible energy which will begin to pull toward you wonderful supporting opportunities and events and people.

Clear the space. Nurture the soil through self respect. Plant your dreams and pay attention to them, just as you would a newly planted flower, with a little care every day, consistent and steady. And of course, water it all with love, love of yourself, love of your dreams, and love of life. Pour the great water of love which is your birthright onto your well-ordered life, planted with dreams. And let the sun of faith and universal help and guidance begin to glow on you, as you clear away the clouds and fogs of chaos and lack of self-control.

If you will do this, keep your soil in order, clearing away the weeds every day, pouring on the water of love every day, your dream will begin to grow and thrive.

Creativity does not require chaos. The fulfillment of dreams does not require the destruction of a good, orderly life. There is no conflict between discipline and dreams. They are consistent partners, like the soil and the plant.

And if the storms do come, and life always brings storms and periods of winter, then know that the soil contains the roots of your dreams, and if you will protect the roots in the nourishing soil of your life, built on self-respect and self-love, then the dreams will have an opportunity to sprout again in the spring sunshine which always follows the winter snows.


				*DISCIPLINE*