PAINFULLY DISCIPLINED
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 § Leave a comment
You know someone who is exceptionally self-disciplined, say in a sport. They are following a gruesome regimen of training and races. When they speak about their harsh discipline, they are full of pride and self-worth.
They don’t seem happy and full of content though. Rather, they are so hard on themselves that there appears to be a degree of self-loathing. They might even sound addicted to the routine of training and accomplishment.
Self-discipline is necessary for self-love, but it is not sufficient.
If you are hard on yourself – pushing your physical limits by not sleeping enough or otherwise hurting your body – pause! Why are you hard on yourself?
An adaption of Monthy Python’s Four Yorkshiremen might go like this:
“I only slept 5h last night!”
“You lucky bastard. This morning, I got up an hour before I went to bed, ran 20 miles, brought the kids to school, finished my work and now have two more days of work to do in the next hour.”
The original:
BEING THE BEST YOU
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 § 1 Comment
When you imagine yourself being the best you,
what images come up in your mind? What do you wish to be doing better? What should you take better care of?
I have been asking this question to people for a while and I have yet to find someone who answers with a list of achievements that they want to accomplish.
Instead the answers are all about making a greater effort on a long list of things: go to yoga more, sleep more, eat healthier, take care of friendships, listen well, love well, watch less TV, drink less, drive carefully, concentrate more, write in your diary…
To be that best you, you hardly need anything from your environment: you don’t need to win a million dollars, get a big promotion or be more admired. Some of that might help, but you don’t need it.
It turns out that the best you is you with better self-discipline.
Business Buddhism 