Has your discipline descended into drudgery?
Traditional thinking would have us believe that discipline is a good thing. Whether it be in sports, business or our private lives, commitment to a cause is mostly the only way to yield a positive result and so discipline is considered a powerful quality to ensure we manifest those things we are meant to. But does discipline lead to dogma? Does it not confine us to a particular set of actions and thoughts? Is there another way of looking at discipline that does not restrict us but empowers us?

Since a young boy I have been involved in many sports that required discipline. Rowing was one of my favourites requiring many dedicated hours on the water and in the gym. Only yesterday I was reading the website of Britain’s famous oarsman Sir Steven Redgrave who won 5 Olympic gold medals. I was astounded to read that he “hated training”. In other words, he hated most of his life! It took me right back to the regime of 6 hours a day grinding up and down the Thames as we prepared for the Boat Race. Did I hate the training too?

When I look back I realise that the dogmatic adherence to a particular structure, timetable or plan was what I found really limiting and restricting. It was not the commitment or regular work that I disliked, it was the lack of spontaneity and the freedom to follow the depths of infinite potential contained within.

In my (more recent) experience, the true self - pure consciousness flowing through us - will simply not be constrained by discipline and dogma. Once a set of mental programming forms in this way, sure enough the true self and the entire universe will test that pattern until it breaks it. Why so? Because such disciplines are entirely within the realm of the ego and not the spontaneous, infinite potential of the true self.

Having said that, it could be that your true self wishes to learn about commitment to a cause and therefore requires a personality (body mind) that has the ability to manifest skills and qualities honed from hours of dedication and service. If you perceive this to be the case how do you balance the rigourous demands with living in the moment and responding to the spontaneity of the infinite?

I believe the answer is rhythm. It is entirely natural for the sun to come up every morning but the way it shines on us is determined by the rhythm of the seasons, no two days are ever the same. In a similar way, if we can take our disciplines and doctrines and allow them to continually evolve, we will discover the sacred ebb and flow of the universe within all events. As we are continually unfolding a new perfection, there is little risk of discipline descending into drudgery.

As I write this, I realise writing a “Thought for the week” is beginning to limit the way energy is flowing through me, I know the universe is testing its very nature: what if I don’t have a thought next week? What happens if three thoughts come together? What if I have a thought every day? What I know I’m being shown is to evolve it into something else, so don’t be surprised to see it change!

So if this week you find your trusty discipline becoming dogmatic and dull, why not allow the natural rhythm of life to evolve it into something else?

Love and best wishes

Chris