What are we doing as a society, culture, world…?  We cannot even comprehend what is real, and what is not real.  Many believe we are truly living in the matrix. The confusion going on today is causing stress in every aspect of society.  Nothing makes sense, or should it be said, everything is nonsensical.   What are we to do to bring discipline and focus back into our lives?

We need to shut it down… the chatter, the noise, the press, the social apps, the radio, tv, and email to name just some of the noise constantly coming at us.  Just think about the last time you set your phone down.  Oh, you cannot remember?  We need to shut it down periodically so we can take walks, exercise, meditate, sleep, and find focus.  Make it a habit to shut off your phone at night, or at least put it the farthest physical distance away from your bed.  Then make it a habit when you wake up that you do not turn it on or look at it until you have achieved some simple goals.  Shower, brush your teeth, exercise, make breakfast, go for a walk, something that can bring some semblance of discipline to your former habits.  Make it a point when you do turn it on, that there is a schedule or plan to get into to break this bond between yourself and the phone, tablet, computer, or any other electronic device that is taking over your life.

The post The Matrix, the Real Consequences first appeared on Discipline and Focus.

Every minute someone leaves this world behind. We are all in “the line”
without knowing it. We never know how many people are before us.
We can not move to the back of the line.
We can not step out of the line.
We can not avoid the line.
So while we wait in line…

Make moments count.
Make priorities.
Make the time.
Make your gifts known.
Make a nobody feel like a somebody.
Make your voice heard.
Make the small things big.
Make someone smile.
Make the change.
Make love.
Make up.
Make peace.
Make sure to tell your people they are loved.
Make sure to have no regrets.
Make sure you are ready.

If anyone knows the author of this, please let me know because I would like to give them credit.

The post IN Line… realize the truth, we are all equal, IN Line first appeared on Discipline and Focus.

Strive…

A New Year! Every year, we start this new beginning, this new journey. Every ad we see involves gym memberships, exercise equipment, diets, on and on. It is predictable, it is in every conversation, it is incessant.

Is there any real meaning to it? Within weeks all of this, fervor evaporates along with any motive. Seemingly everyone falls into the same old, same old habits. Why? Here is that word again: DISCIPLINE. It keeps popping up because the majority of people lack the ability to make meaningful changes to their behavior. How can we change that to something positive? One word will put you on the right path to a better tomorrow, strive. Everyday, everyday decide today is great, tomorrow I will be better than today, and the next day will be even better.

It is a New Year! We have simple choices. Simple choices. If you break it down, it becomes simple. There are only two decisions for pretty much everything in life.

• Yes/No
• Up/Down
• Good/Bad
• Right/Wrong
• Fast/Slow
• Left/Right
• Do/Don’t
• Easy/Hard

Everything we do really comes down to choosing behaviors that will benefit our journey in life. So why not start today at the beginning of the New Year? When a decision about an action that affects our life, why not make the one that benefits us and consequently everyone around us. Our actions affect so many other people and we fail to realize that. Think about the Butterfly Affect. One simple, seemingly insignificant action we take unknowingly affects millions of people. Just making subtle changes in your life, like simply starting to crawl, then walk, then running will allow you to modify your behaviors and habits to make lasting change. Common sense and logic each and everyone of us have will tell us the choice we need to make. 99% of the time there are two ways to go. You know the right one, start this New Year.

I know without a doubt, every human being knows the right decisions to make in their lives to benefit themselves, their families, and consequently the world, everyone. Real change comes not from ads, worldly trends, and peer pressure. We were all born with a God-Given free will. Using our own consciousness to make the simple and right decisions will make all the difference in your life and all the world regardless of what it entails: relationships, health, money, life circumstance, job, in the end…

The Choice is Always Ours.

The post New Year first appeared on Discipline and Focus.

It is found within each and everyone of us

The most important thing we need in our lives is Peace of Mind. It isn’t about having the most money, the best house, the expensive car, the jewelry, vacations throughout the world, etc. It is having the tranquility within your self that every human strives for.

The pressures that the external world puts on each and every one of us is simply, overwhelming. It comes at us in all directions. Every ad, every commercial spout a need for something that we perceive mistakenly that we really, really want. The fact is, we don’t. How often do you find this artificial want within yourself that in the end you succumb, get it, and find out you did not need it? You ask yourself, why did I do that?

You see this with parents and children. The child cries, “I want that, I want that” and the parents relent and satisfy that want. In a short while, that thing that was so important lies dormant somewhere unused.

That example applies to each and every human. This artificial need to possess something that is transient. Walk around your home. Look around. How many things sit unused, the only thing it is doing is taking up space. Look at your clothes. You will find that you wear probably 20% of your clothing and shoes in the closet and dresser the majority of the time. Why do you need 80% more than what you really use? Think about it. The more choices we have, the less happy we are. One of the best books I ever read is by Psychologist Barry Schartz. It was called the Paradox of Choice. In essence, he believes that the more choices we have, the less happy we are. The stress of making decisions just adds to our angst.

The next time you think you need something, take a breath. Something I have learned to do is have patience for everything in your life. I never worry about having to pull the trigger on anything immediately. I let it marinate, think about the consequences, and take time to see if it is really necessary and needed. There is ALWAYS an opportunity in the future. Never make decisions to purchase or obtain something because you think you will lose your opportunity. My motto has always been, whatever you desire, will come to you in time and at the right time. They always do. All things in time.

The post Peace of Mind first appeared on Discipline and Focus.

Don’t be like that guy on the rooftop…

You’ve all probably heard the apocryphal story about the guy stuck on his rooftop during a terrible flood who was praying to God for help.

A rowboat came by and shouted for the man to jump down. “It’s OK,” said the man of faith. “I’m praying to God, and He’s going to save me.” So, the rowboat moved on to help someone else.

Then a motorboat came by. “Jump in,” said the Good Samaritan. “I can save you.” But the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God. He is going to save me.” So, the motorboat went on.

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.” Again, the stranded man replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.” So, the helicopter pilot reluctantly flew away.

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. When he got to heaven he asked God, “I had faith in you, but you didn’t save me, you let me drown. Why?” To this God replied, “I sent you a rowboat, a motorboat, and a helicopter. What more did you expect?” Don’t be like that guy on the rooftop…

I did not write this and could not find an author to attribute this story for their credit. This story is a great lesson in not recognizing the opportunities presented to us that come our way each day. And they come every day.

The post Man On The Roof first appeared on Discipline and Focus.

FASTING CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE

One of the most powerful health protocols you can possibly do is fasting. It has the capacity to turn around your life and your health problems. Miraculous life-changing events happen when somebody restricts solid food in their diet. Countless examples are available of people taking the first step in caloric restriction (solid food) have allowed them to stop medications, lose weight, overcome health conditions, and literally reinvent themselves.

How does this tie in with Discipline and Focus? You only need to understand it takes great willpower to be able to control one of the most powerful forces in one’s life, eating. It is actually a good exercise to bring discipline and focus into your life. I will be bringing more and more information about fasting in the Lifestyle portion of my website. It will reveal all of the transformational benefits that fasting can bring into your life.

We will explore the many different ways to fast. We will compare juice fasts to water fasts. We will look at the duration, the consequences, and intermittent vs. continuous fasts. I believe so much in fasting and how life-changing it can be, many books are listed in the books menu tab. It will become one of the main focuses to achieving your self-discipline. Believe it.

Take Your Life Back.

The post Fasting first appeared on Discipline and Focus.

The Building Block of Discipline and Focus

Organization is the fundamental trait of being able to function with efficiency in life. How do we get to a point of organization? You need to start looking at what surrounds you, your environment.

Famed psychologist, Jordan Peterson repeats a mantra that everyone should take to heart. “Clean your room”. So many connotations to this common phrase. It shows the importance of order in your life before you can try to interfere in other people’s business. Put your self together by eliminating the physical, emotional, and nonsensical things in your life.

You need to start small and be realistic at first. If you have never been organized in your life before, you need to make it a habit. You take little steps at first. It starts with wants vs. needs. The majority of people have endless wants, but what are your real needs? Love, resources to live (food, shelter, and clothing), safety and protection are vital. When does it become enough?

When do all of these wants begin to overwhelm our lives?

Why do we live under the false pretext that we need the latest and greatest when what we have suffices? Why is is it when Apple introduces a new iPhone people line up around the block to get one? I just cannot understand this. What is the illusion that you are gaining besides unnecessary debt? This example pertains to cars, clothes, books, apartments, homes, or anything that is tangible. If what you have isn’t broke, why look for a fix? It only adds to our angst and clutter in life.

Professor Barry Schwartz wrote one of the most insightful books I have ever read. It is called, The Paradox of Choice, WHY MORE IS LESS. This book was written originally about 2004 and what he speaks of is actually many times more relevant due to the endless amount of choices we have today. The premise is that even though we have so many options and choices in life, Barry Schartz argues we are less satisfied and happy. In a nutshell, we become paralyzed by the sheer complexity of availability. A clear example of this is just going to our closets. If we had two pair of pants, 3 shirts, two pair of shoes, when we went to choose, it is relatively easy. We might have to make a determination of colors, dress shoes or sneakers, but the decision is quick. Now go to the same closet where there are 25 pairs of shoes, 15 pants, 20 shirts, etc. It becomes overwhelming and stressful.

So to start our journey to organization, begin in your bedroom. Look at your closet with clear eyes. Be realistic in what you have worn in the past month and separate them. If in the next two weeks, anything you have not utilized put them aside and consider donating them. Realize that the majority of your closet and I would bet 70%, rarely get worn. Enrich someone else’s life by donating them. Every week look to reduce the piles of “accumulation” throughout your living space.

Make it a goal every day to take steps to reduce chaos. Take care of mail, get rid of books and magazines, anything that takes up space and the focus off of your ability to utilize your mind and think clearly. Learn to develop the habit of taking care of things as soon as they develop. Make up your bed as soon as you get up in the morning. Recycle mail as soon as it is delivered. Delete unwanted emails, texts, and the like as soon as received. Put things in there proper place instead of just setting it down. One little simple thing that I do, is to clean up as I make dinner. If I am done with a pot, while something else is being prepared, the pot is washed, rinsed, and put away. By the time the meal is ready, most of the cleanup is done. Crazy, but simple actions like these help to make HABITS. Every little action accumulates into a greater good. Anything that will help you make organization a habit, do it.

Make it a point on this journey to take the first step of reducing the clutter in your life. In fact, make it a habit every day to become organized in every aspect of your life. In doing so, you will find it easier to make good choices. Remember, Discipline is all about controlling your mind, and you need a clear mind. The choice is always yours.

The post Organization first appeared on Discipline and Focus.

Yes. Power Word #2

Yes. Why is the ability to say yes so important? YES decisions are transforming. Yes empowers us. Say yes to exercise, yes to healthy food choices, yes to faith, yes to love, yes to good decisions. Say yes to compassion, forgiveness, and kindness. Yes, can change the course of your life for the better if yes is the correct power word.

If more people said yes to positivity to changes that enrich their lives and the lives of others, their world, and the world, in general, would be a better place. Be cognitive of when you say yes, and what the consequences are of your actions. Take a mental poll and keep track of your outcomes of saying yes that are beneficial. Use your past success of saying yes to your benefit for future decisions. It is a key element of staying in a disciplined life.

The post Yes first appeared on Discipline and Focus.

No. Power Word #1

No is one of the keywords to establishing discipline. The power to create change in your life starts with the word NO.

Think about your ability to say no. Do you have the inside fortitude to turn down things that are not in your best interest? Temptations are around each and everyone one of us. Saying no can literally save your life. How? Let’s use decisions in our example.

How many times have you been asked to do things in your life that you knew was not the correct choice? How many times did you just go along with everybody in the group and join them? The groupthink mentality. The betting money would be on the majority of people just can not say no. Now think about how many times this has happened in the past for you. How many times has this turned out to be not a stellar moment in your life? Remember, one decision, just one stupid decision could wreck your life.

Now think again about very common life scenarios:

• Going out because everyone is going out.
• Drinking excessively because of the pressure of being left out from everyone there.
• Getting into a car with someone who is in no condition to drive, or you getting into a car to drive home even though you are not capable.
• Eating food that is totally unhealthy and you know it but do it anyway.
• Getting into compromising decisions made due to peer pressure.
• Taking Drugs.

This list could go on forever. Take a bit of time and think about all of the events of your life that this has happened.

Let’s think deeper, not regrets. Let’s think about some of the past decisions that could have easily changed your life forever. Getting a ticket for a DWI can have consequences for 10 years or more. Moreover, a drunk driving accident might not only change your life but the lives of many innocent people. People, who were, as insurance companies always say, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Stupid decisions that could have been easily avoided with the word NO. Getting into these circumstances can possibly wreck your life along with others.

Say NO to all of the things that do not make you better today or tomorrow. YOU KNOW WHEN TO SAY NO. Saying no empowers you. Develop the discipline to do the right thing. The choice is always ours to make.

The post No first appeared on Discipline and Focus.

Focus is the other important aspect of Discipline. You need to find clarity in your purpose for achieving goals. If you are unsure of your target, how can you hit it if you cannot see it clearly?

There are elements to focus that you need to have:

There are many elements to focus that you need to have. Whatever it is that you are trying to achieve, it needs to be a goal. It just cannot be something off in the future that you want “someday”. Someday may never arrive. Put that thing in your head as if it is already here. Picture it. Keep it at the forefront of your mind.

Clutter, disorganization, too many choices are all enemies of focus. They are simply distractions. You need to clean up your environment. Personally, I cannot focus at my desk if it is cluttered with papers. Any clutter in my life can not be tolerated. Psychologically it seriously drives me crazy. My functionality dwindles to the point that any disorganization causes me to take my eye off what is needed to be done. It is necessary to clean up the distraction, whatever it is. The bottom line is, be organized to be really be focused. Again, I quote Jordan Peterson, “Clean up your room”.

Prioritize. You might have many different goals to achieve. There is always something that should be at the head of the pack. If other tasks are minimal, take care of them. Take them off the list so that your attention can be put on the most important one. Many people have luck with journaling. It is an old school technique that you use to write down the tasks at hand. It gives you a visual of what needs to be accomplished in a time frame. There is only one thing everyone needs to do, stop procrastinating and get started. You need to start. Start now.

The post FOCUS Clearly first appeared on Discipline and Focus.