Where is Yours?
Discipline. We all have it somewhere. Maybe don’t think you have any. You never follow through on diet plans or exercise programs. You stopped making New Years resolutions because, well, why bother. You never finished that book and that project around the house is still staring at you. I understand if you are at the end of your rope and feel defeated because you believe you have no will power or discipline. I am here to tell you that you are wrong. Yours may just be hiding.
Do you keep a clean home with weekly chores? There is your discipline. No? Ok. Do you go to worship regularly? Do you journal or have quiet time in the morning? Do you brush your teeth every night, even when you don’t feel like it? Have you EVER reached a goal even a few years back? Think back to a time when you were the proudest of yourself. OR maybe your discipline is disguised in bad habits. Hiding things from family members takes work and dedication. Don’t discount anything!!
For a little personal sidenote related to this, I am approaching the close of day number 4 of no food. It is a water fast, I am aiming for 5 days, I am familiar with fasting but have never made it beyond 2.5 days before and no, my goal is not weight loss. My goal is autophagy - my body needs to take out the trash. This means that I am giving my body time off from processing food and giving it time for deep healing and to grab fuel from senescent, or damaged, cells. Your risk of cancer decreases significantly with fasting as your body targets the things that are not serving it anymore. If you are at your target weight this does not need to happen more than once a year. I fast for smaller amounts weekly, so I am familiar enough with it to feel comfortable taking on this 5 day challenge. But don’t get me wrong - this was a formidable challenge and I came into it with a plan ‘b’: if I feel I can no longer go on I will drink bone broth for the rest of the 5 days. But I am taking it hour by hour and things are going well!
I say all this to encourage you as we move into the new year to examine your life for pockets of discipline and give yourself credit for the work. It shows you can be committed and focused. It is proof that you are capable of doing hard things! Move into the new year with clarity, focus, and renewed self-belief.
Get well, stay well
