Day # 40 - 40 days and nights, discipline

By nature I am not a disciplined person. I am a hard worker. I am not afraid of a challenge. I have ambition. Just lacking discipline. It's why I don't work out as much as I should. It's why for so many years I thought my temper was uncontrollable and simply a part of my DNA like my eye color.

My parents loved me and did their best with my sister and me, but they didn't teach me discipline. My sister was always disciplined. She worked hard, did her homework, and got good grades with minimal supervision. I was the opposite: I required maximum security level supervision and still did poorly in school - in spite of my ability. I actually made a vice-principal cry once. She was so disappointed that a boy of my intelligence simply refused to live up to his potential.

I used to sit and wonder what I could have been had I had discipline. Now I recognize the futility of such exercises and I think about what I can become if I am disciplined from now on.

For forty days I have written about this experience and every day I learn a little something more about what it is I am really doing. God works in mysterious ways and what started as me giving up news has become about finding myself, rediscovering my ambitions, and learning to have focus and discipline.

Sometimes, if you stick to something that is good and productive, you will find more than you expected. I hoped to develop a more positive attitude. I never thought there was anything more to this. Forty days in I know I was only seeing half the picture. Maybe less than half.

Funny thing about Forty Days. When God wanted to renew the earth, it rained for forty days (and nights.) Jesus fasted for forty days. It took Moses forty days to receive the laws from God. Yesterday was my fortieth day and I can feel such a difference in my life, I know there must be something to it.

The cynics will roll their eyes. I am still a cynic or that thought would not have come to my mind. So let's call this the first forty days. But the truth is if you do not believe in a higher power, it's all meaningless anyway. Sure, life is beautiful but the thought that it ends when we close our eyes for the final time is depressing. There has to be more.

There's got to be just more to it than this
Oh, tell me why do we exist
I'd like to think that when I die
I get a chance, another try

Those are Iron Maiden lyrics. Yes, Iron Maiden, the heavy metal, devil-worshipping band from the 1980's. The lyrics are referring to reincarnation, which is something I don't mean to advocate, but if they believe there's something more, and someone like me, who is now their spiritual polar opposite (or trying to be) believes it, there must be something there.

The question of course, it what else is there?

That's for you to decide. The answer for me is Jesus Christ. But to get to that answer, to reach that conclusion, I must be disciplined. It's too easy to give into temptation. It's too easy to give up or take the easy way out. I don't want to be that person.

Lessons:

- It's never to late to become a disciplined person. Decide to do it and do it.
- 40 days was enough to flood the earth and prepare Jesus for ministry but it may not be enough for you.
- Discipline, like learning, is a daily thing. It never ends. If you want to be all you can be, you'd better get used to that fact.

Today's Declarations:

- Day by day in every way I am getting better and better
- I am disciplined, focused, and committed to my goals
- My dedication makes me stronger, it makes me better, it brings me closer to God.

No one does it alone, and no one does it without discipline. When we look at the big picture, we realize that discipline is a small thing. Take that first step toward being the person you are meant to be.

Make it your best day ever. God bless you.

- Adolfo


Start building your Success Library!
Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook