“The Fundamental Element to Physical and Emotional Health: Discipline”
The path to physical and emotional health and to a meditative mind is traveled with a lot of patience and with a fundamental element: discipline. Everywhere we read or hear about the benefits that practices such as sports, meditation, yoga or introspective therapy have on our comprehensive health. However, in the midst of so much information and so many proposals, the question is where do I start? How do I quiet my mind if I can’t stop thinking for even a minute? When can I go do yoga or sports if I don’t have a single free minute during the day or if when I get home I’m very exhausted?
The first thing to understand is that the path to physical and emotional health and to a meditative mind is traveled with a lot of patience and with a fundamental element: the discipline. One of my teachers said, “the only true friend you have is your own discipline.” What he means is that there is no one, no guru, no teacher, no therapist, no instructor who can take the journey for you. You and only you can make this path.
It is true that those who have been on the journey for more years can give us the tools and lessons that experience leaves behind. However, we must make the path ourselves. But how? With one foot after the other and without failing in the daily commitment to do something good for ourselves.
Every day you can decide to do something good for yourself: today you decide to eat a little better, today you decide to move a little more, today you put a small limit on some toxic relationship while cultivating patience, listening, and love in those relationships that nourish and matter to you. Today you can take a minute of attention to notice your breathing, stop before responding from anger, feel, pay attention, breathe deeper and be grateful.
Every action, no matter how small, counts for every conscious decision and pays for the most important thing you have: your own life. Build in your daily life habits that become your daily reality.
You have many opportunities in 24 hours to decide to make small changes that will improve your health. But yes, always with a lot of discipline. Start with small steps, but start today and tomorrow don’t fail; and so on one day after another.
This is also the best antidote against victimhood, the eternal complaint, the apathy. Impose on yourself habits that can give you victory in the small battles of everyday life.
If you adopt this philosophy there is no room for victimhood, because you will feel that you take the reins of your life, which is in you, in the daily will to say yes to yourself. If I want to live better, feel better, love more, suffer less, say yes. And behind that yes, is the will and discipline.
Remember that you are the most important thing in your life and that taking care of yourself is the first step to taking care of everything around us.