Alamogordo NM
7-14-2023 9:34pm

PERSPECTIVES - a regular weekly feature

Dear Liliane

How do you instill self discipline when you don’t have any?

I have berated myself for years for being undisciplined. This has proven to be poor way to achieve discipline! I’ve always managed to meet my deadlines, but not without some stress.

A couple of years back I was at an event where Paul Selig was speaking. During the Q&A I asked what I could do about my lack of discipline. His response was, “Discipline is not the right word for you. Try asking ‘What do I get to play now?’ and see what shows up!”

We are conditioned to believe play is for children and serious minded adults need to ‘get on with business’. Yet play is the foundation of creative thought which is imperative to almost any task. So maybe play with the idea that ‘play’ and ‘discipline’ don’t need to be arch enemies! Allow yourself to redefine your language and how you approach a task.

For example, if I have to vacuum our huge airbnb after guests and I am loathe to get after it, I might start by putting on headphones with some lively music. Now the vacuum cleaner is a dance partner. (It actually dances better than I do!) Then my mind might move to an efficiency game - how to make the least number of movements to achieve the maximum cleaning result. I can also put the job on autopilot and devote my mind to problem solving or writing my next chapter or ….. or…..

The other day during this exact scenario I was working on a talk I was asked to deliver about finding joy in the mundane, and I decided to use vacuuming to practice presence. It was a wonderful exercise! I had fun and found a whole new idea for my talk!

What if all of life is nothing more than a creative exercise in a game being played with ourselves, even though it appears we are playing with everyone on planet earth? What does winning mean? Are any rules Absolute and if so, what are they?

As I’ve aged, the answers to these questions have become more clear, and at the same time, more of an enigma. This tells me the questions are of my own making. But the very act of asking them informs us... if we are listening.

Go have some fun.

***

Got a question that needs a new pair of eyes?
Email: lily@domesnatureretreat.com

Liliane is co-owner of the Domes Nature Retreat

https://www.facebook.com/domesnatureretreat/

www.domesnatureretreat.com

She is a regular contributor to Alamogordo Town News

https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/

She can be heard each weekend on Krazy KALHRadio.org 95.1 FM https://station.voscast.com/5b01bba90dce3

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