Build Discipline

In times of struggle, it becomes increasingly hard to do the things we know we should do. We know we should eat right, but we really don’t care. We know we have to pay that bill or make that phone call, but it’s just too much effort. Day by day, we become our own worst enemy. 

So much of the key to surviving hard times is doing things for their own sake – not because we feel like doing them or because we hope doing them will help. We need the ability to do the right thing purely for the sake of doing it.  

That’s self-discipline, and it’s the greatest protection we have against ourselves in times of struggle. When we need motivation to move forward, when we get knocked down and need to get up again, when we feel so hopeless we don’t know how to go on – we’re going to fare better if we have some discipline to fall back on. 

Discipline doesn’t just happen on its own. Babies aren’t born with it. We develop it through practice, and opportunities to practice are all around us every day. Even when we’re struggling, we should take advantage of as many as we can.