| Anna walked out of the office barely holding back her | | | | even the simplest of tasks with any regularity. This |
| tears. She had just been fired again. And it was so | | | | total lack of self-control that Anna exhibits allows |
| unjust! She simply had to paint her nails for her party | | | | those who have authority in her life to righteously wield |
| tonight. What if she didn't get to the phone quick | | | | punishment, such as releasing her from work. She is |
| enough? After all, the company had a great voice mail | | | | left with feelings of anger and resentment. Any |
| system. What difference did it make whether she | | | | happiness that she might have with her life is |
| answered the phone or the machine answered the | | | | obliterated. Since there is no control of her actions, |
| phone anyway? And Alice had been so snotty about | | | | Anna has absolutely no control over discipline. |
| it, reminding her of all the other times she had been | | | | The second definition of discipline is control gained by |
| asked not to let the phone go to voice mail. Really! So | | | | enforcing an orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern |
| Alice fired her. Did she have to bring up the past? | | | | of behavior. We see this form of discipline in a school |
| As Anna started to walk through the bustling crowd of | | | | where everyone must follow set rules so that order is |
| people around her she began to cry in earnest. It just | | | | maintained. Our society too has a set of rules defining |
| was not fair. Everyone else was so happy. They had | | | | the base conduct that we all must follow; our laws. It is |
| money to spend and seemed to be doing exactly | | | | this form of discipline that John is inflicting upon himself. I |
| what they wanted. Why couldn't she start to get | | | | will not call it self-control but rather self-discipline. He |
| ahead? | | | | may find this system of regulation makes it easier for |
| John passed Anna on the street so intent on keeping | | | | him to deal with his every day tasks, but it is not |
| his schedule that he did not even notice her tears. He | | | | bringing him any happiness. In fact, he feels as if he is in |
| certainly was not one of the 'happy' people that she | | | | a rut. His self-discipline has power over him; John has |
| just portrayed 'everyone' to be. He felt as if his life | | | | no control of discipline. |
| was going nowhere. He never met new people. Very | | | | Now, before we get to the final definition of discipline |
| rarely went out of the house besides for errands and | | | | pertinent to this discussion let's take a moment to |
| work. But then, he just did not have the time to get out. | | | | define joy. Again, going back to Merriam-Webster |
| Dinner was at six. He could eat, clean the kitchen and | | | | Online we see that joy is the emotion evoked by |
| then relax till seven thirty. Then he would exercise for | | | | well-being, success, or good fortune. I have heard it |
| thirty minutes and follow that up with a quick shower. | | | | said that joy is the ability to be grateful no matter what |
| After that he would balance his checkbook, read his | | | | the circumstances. It is impossible to have this feeling |
| mail and do all those other little tasks never seem to | | | | of joy in your life without having control of discipline; |
| end. Then the evening was done and it was time to go | | | | without knowing that you have the freedom to be |
| to bed. John had trained himself to his routine so | | | | who you are while maintaining the basic morals that |
| tenaciously that he never considered changing it for | | | | give us an orderly society. |
| even one night. | | | | It is in the final definition of discipline that we see the |
| Unhappiness radiated from John as he walked down | | | | path to joy. Discipline is training that corrects, molds or |
| the busy sidewalk with his head hanging low and | | | | perfects the mental facilities or moral character. I call |
| shoulders bent forward. He felt as if he was treading | | | | this self-control. It is the ability to do what is right, not |
| through a deep rut day after day; week after week. | | | | because it is what is expected of us from outside |
| He could hear all the chatter around him and wondered | | | | influences, but because we recognize internally that it is |
| how all these other people managed to find time to be | | | | the correct course of action for us. |
| so happy. "Probably unorganized", he thought to | | | | If we look at John, his actions are being enforced. He |
| himself. "I bet most of them don't even balance their | | | | feels obligated to perform all his tasks in a timely |
| checkbooks." | | | | manner. We know this not by looking at the actions |
| Here are two extreme personalities in our society. | | | | themselves, but by seeing what he is feeling. If he |
| Anna with her total lack of self-control and John with | | | | were choosing these actions because he truly felt |
| his self-imposed rigidity outwardly appear to be as | | | | they were the correct path for him to take, he would |
| opposite as any two people could be. However, their | | | | not feel as if he was in a rut but instead he would feel |
| base issue is the same. These two individuals, like | | | | the freedom of making those choices. He would |
| many of us, are allowing discipline to control their lives | | | | grateful for his circumstances in life - he would feel joy. |
| and, unless they learn to control discipline themselves, | | | | The same reasoning applies to Anna. She is |
| they will never experience true joy in their lives. | | | | repeatedly fired because she is not performing the |
| Already I hear the outcries from the reading audience! | | | | commitments that she has agreed to when accepting |
| "How do you figure?" "You've lost your mind!" "Anna | | | | a job. If she were to take the time to show a little |
| has no discipline in her life while John has managed to | | | | self-control before taking a job by looking at all the |
| develop an outstanding ability to keep a schedule." | | | | responsibilities and ensuring she could and would |
| How could they have the same problem? In fact, does | | | | perform them, then she could go to work daily with |
| John really have a problem? Our society sees | | | | peace of mind. Anna would be taking the steps to |
| someone who can keep a good schedule as a person | | | | control her own discipline, thus not allowing discipline to |
| who has a superior grasp on life. This individual | | | | control her. By taking this action Anna, like John, would |
| definitely does not appear, by our society norms, to | | | | allow joy to enter her life. |
| have a personality problem. | | | | Again, John and Anna represent extreme examples of |
| Well, to answer all your questions - and to defend my | | | | discipline being in control. Most of us are not so |
| position - we need to first define some terms. | | | | excessively out of control in our lives. However, there |
| Merriam-Webster Online gives three pertinent | | | | may be some area in where discipline has domination. |
| definitions of discipline for this discussion and one for | | | | Some internal searching to determine where our joy is |
| joy. | | | | missing might help identify that part which is being |
| First, discipline is punishment. This is the most common | | | | controlled by discipline. With training we can give |
| form of discipline. It is this form of discipline that Anna | | | | ourselves a firm grasp of self-control refusing to allow |
| finds herself repeatedly facing with her bosses. She | | | | discipline to control us. We can control discipline and |
| does not, or can not, control herself enough to perform | | | | have complete joy in our lives. |