Subject: Discipline: Friend or Foe?
Welcome to Celebrating the Journey!
Monday, October 2, 2000
Issue #36
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Welcome Notes
2. Discipline: Friend or Foe?
3. Coaching: It’s Your Choice
4. Quotes
5. Humor: Where the Dog and Cat Came From
6. Opportunity for a Web Minded Reader
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1. Welcome Notes
Success! I climbed Mt. Elbert today. It was a gloriously
clear, wonderfully windy, Indian Summer day. A
surprising amount of snow left on the mountain from
last weekend’s storm evidenced the coming of winter.
The summer goal is reached: 10 14ers and 10 nights out.
And just in the nick of time.
In this celebratory mood, I welcome our new subscribers.
The number of CTJ subscribers has mirrored the seasons
in the last few months — growing geometrically in the
spring and quietly flourishing throughout the summer.
This week I will sow new grass seed on my lawn to ensure
a lush and full cover in the spring. I ask that you spread
the seeds of Celebrating The Journey in like manner.
Fertilize your own journey by celebrating life with the
members of your community. Thanks!
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2. Discipline: Friend or Foe?
Discipline means doing the things that need to be done to
accomplish our goals and dreams even when we don’t
want to do them. Discipline can have a positive and light
feel to it or a negative and heavy one. It’s our choice.
Many of us believe that discipline is a necessary evil. We
don’t accomplish much without it, and yet it often feels
like a punishment, like we are somehow giving up our
freedom by doing what’s necessary; sacrificing the
freedom to do what we want to do to the need to be
disciplined about what we have to do.
The truth is that nothing is necessary. We don’t HAVE to
do anything. Not really.
It is also true that if we don’t do anything, we will not
reach our goals and dreams. Again, it’s our choice.
I can hear the but’s from here! “But I don’t have a choice.”
Sure you do. The question is, what’s more important —
your goal or the freedom to do whatever you want? That’s
the choice. What’s more important — growing your
business or watching Survivor?
If your answer is watching Survivor, that’s great. Then let
go of pretending that you want to make the calls. Stop the
white-knuckled, clenched fist, “have to” kind of discipline
that we invoke when we’re trying to do what we think
we’re supposed to do rather than what we REALLY
WANT.
Watching Survivor reruns while telling your husband or
wife how many calls you’re going to make – tomorrow —
for the 22nd time — is not a lack of discipline. It is a lack of
clarity about what you really want.
The difference between achieving our goals and not
achieving them is desire and discipline. Without the
desire, the discipline is heavy, dark, a sacrifice and
ultimately defeating. With the desire it becomes lighter, a
positive step on the journey to having the life we
REALLY WANT, a victory.
It’s our choice.
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3. Coaching: It’s Your Choice
Pick a goal in your life that is very important to you.
Make a commitment to taking one action each day for the
next thirty days that will move you toward that goal.
Make a tick mark on a calendar for each day you take the
action.
At the end of thirty days, count the tick marks.
If there are less than thirty, it’s time to reevaluate your
goal.
Why do you want to accomplish it?
Whose goal is it anyway – really?
What are you afraid of about reaching that goal?
How will your life be different when you reach it?
Bring a trusted friend or mentor or coach into this process.
It is impossible to be objective about our own goals.
Now re-language the goal so it is truly yours and repeat
the process. Or drop it and choose another.
It’s your choice.
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4. Quotes
In the last analysis, our only freedom is the freedom to
discipline ourselves.
Bernard Baruch
Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to
exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.
H.L. Hunt
Self-respect is the root of discipline; the sense of dignity
grows with the ability to say no to oneself.
Abraham J. Heschel
There is a certain combination of anarchy and discipline
in the way I work.
Robert De Niro
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5. Humor: Where the Dog and Cat Came From
This wonderful piece comes from Jan Ferrazzoli, a friend
for many years.
A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has
provided the following:
Adam said, “Lord, when I was in the garden, you walked
with me every day. Now I do not see you anymore. I am
lonesome here and it is difficult for me to remember how
much you love me.”
And God said, “No problem, I will create a companion for
you that will be with you forever and who will be a
reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me
even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish
or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion
will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in
spite of yourself.”
And God created a new animal to be a companion for
Adam. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased.
And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam
and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, “Lord, I have
already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I
cannot think of a name for this new animal.”
And God said, “Because I have created this new animal to
be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a
reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG.”
And Dog lived with Adam and was a companion to him
and loved him. And Adam was comforted. And God was
pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail.
After a while, it came to pass that Adam’s guardian angel
came to the Lord and said, “Lord, Adam has become filled
with pride. He struts and preens like a peacock and he
believes he is worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed
taught him that he is loved, but perhaps too well.”
And God said, “No problem, I will create for him a
companion who will be with him forever and who will
see him as he is. The companion will remind
him of his limitations, so he will know that he is not
always worthy of adoration.”
And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam. And
Cat would not obey Adam. And when Adam gazed into
Cat’s eyes, he was reminded that he was not the supreme
being. And Adam learned humility. And God was
pleased.
And Adam was greatly improved. And Dog was happy.
And the cat didn’t give a rip one way or the other.
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6. Opportunity for a Web Minded Reader
Wishing you could work with a Life Coach and are a little
short on funds? Here’s a great opportunity for you!
My life is wonderfully full these days, in ways I could not
have imagined a year ago. It is necessary to prioritize at a
whole new level, and one of the pieces that has moved
down the priority list is a revamp of my website. I have a
new template, a design I love, and no time to implement
it.
I am looking for someone with some Website
maintenance experience who can assist me in
implementing the new template, new language, and a
new look on my Website.
Are you interested in having a partner in creating the life
you REALLY want? Do you have some expertise with
website maintenance, a bit of knowledge about HTML and
experience with WYSIWYG software (I use Claris Home
Page)? Call me at 1-888-704-9336 or email
mailto:website@tothesummit.com. Let’s connect and see
how our needs complement one another.
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Give yourself the gift of Joyful Discipline this week.
Namaste, Margo
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My purpose in publishing Celebrating the Journey is to
provide you with resources, motivation, inspiration and
energy for YOUR journey to create success and freedom
in all areas of your life. CTJ will use stories from my life
and others, coaching tips and resources, quotes and
humor to deliver a learning experience that can enhance
your life. I am always looking for comments, ideas and
ways to improve CTJ. I welcome your emails at
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com.
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Copyright © 2000, all rights reserved, by Margo
Chisholm
I invite you to share Celebrating the Journey with your
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entire email with Copyright and Credits be included. The
author of this article is Margo Chisholm. You may contact
her at (970) 704-9336 or at
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com.
—
“At every moment of our life we have an
opportunity to choose joy.”
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Margo Chisholm
Coach, Speaker, Author, Therapist
Partnering you in having success,
freedom and joy in all areas of your life
970-704-9336 fax 970-704-9346
margo@tothesummit.com
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