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Is Discipline a Dirty Word?

Um, yeah! It can seem like a dirty word. Because it's HARD! “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening — it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Hebrews 12:11 (NLT) I totally agree with Paul. Being disciplined is hard. It takes work. Effort. It is worthwhile, though. It all starts with a decision. You have to choose to be disciplined in your thoughts so that your actions follow suit.


I have been working on getting my thoughts back in order so that my focus is in the right places and working toward the right purposes. I have drop-kicked sugar from my life. It's one of those things that I don't miss when I don't have it, but when I do...O-M-G...it is like heroin for me. I think about my next fix, how to get it, and when I do I need more and more and more...it SUCKS! So, rather than let something make me its b*tch, I am kicking it to the curb. For now, it starts with the stuff you know has sugar without even reading the label like candy, cookies, ice cream...all those things that I allowed to come back into my life and bring with them that 29 lbs of self-hate (according to the scale Monday morning--UGH!). 


Oh, man, you should have seen me the last two days trying to put on the clothes that are in my closet. Not a pretty sight. I am so thankful that I got my head right before these couple of mornings tearing through my closet without success. Yes, I could wear a dress and not deal with the pants and skirts squeezing me to death, but that would continue to allow me to keep saying, "I'll deal with it tomorrow." And "tomorrow' never comes! And today's issue--disclaimer: TMI coming up--has to do with beans in my last 3 meals. Just sayin'!


I am back to the SparkPeople way of doing things...in streaks. One thing at a time. First, it was getting back to drinking water. Then, it was adding in 25 pushups. Dang! I just remembered I forgot my shoes again so I could walk. If my brain weren't attached... Anyway, now I am dumping the sugar monster. Next up, more veggies. That's the one that always gets me. It's a mental thing. Totally. So, I am going to do more of what works for me...visualizing. Just like before I ran, I saw myself running. Knowing I can do it, knowing I like it--no, love it--makes a huge difference in my success. My mental state really does drive the other states. The whole "believe to receive" mantra works for me and will work for you. The thing about visualizing is you get to be in control of it. For me, I always think I hate salads and veggies, but when I eat them that is not true. So, I need to get to eating them and remember what I like about it and how it feels so I can "see myself" doing it again and again. 


Once of my fave sayings is, "Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect." Doing it wrong over and over in practice doesn't make it right. Doing it right makes it right. Discipline your mind and you discipline the rest...body and spirit. Embrace the now so you can reap that later harvest! I know I am!

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