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Daily Drop

Discipline leads to freedom.

But wait isn’t discipline just a bunch of rules to follow and things we can’t do? How does that lead to freedom?

When we have discipline we become more free. For example having the discipline to exercise and eat healthy, give us the freedom of mobility and agility in your body as well as good mental function.

Having the discipline to be financially responsible and strategic leads to financial freedom and abundance.

The impulse to eat the junk or spend the money on something you don’t need. That’s the trap. And the way we find freedom from the trap is observation.

When that urge or temptation comes up to drink or smoke or doomscroll etc, we can observe the feeling, the sensation, the yearning, the hunger or impulse.

But we don’t need to act. This is the practice, we do not let these feelings or emotions control our behaviour, simple enough to say but more difficult to practice.

When we put our discipline to use something interesting happens, it begins to get easier, even become a habit and part of our identity.

The more we use this muscle the stronger it will become, the more we practice discipline in our daily lives, we will stop being slaves to every urge and shiny object and we will begin to experience more freedom.

Freedom from the shame and guilt associated with bad habits and vices. Freedom from the suffering of addiction, freedom to overcome cravings. Freedom to take better care of ourselves and not constantly seek escape.

Most of the time the “vice” we use is a coping mechanism to deal with the discomfort of our daily lives. The problem is seeking to numb ourselves doesn’t change the situation it just makes it worse and makes it much more difficult to give up the crutch.

When we stop seeking pleasure through these habits we’ve picked up but instead we seek purpose, meaning and service, we will naturally begin to feel more free. Less confined and chained to our old ways, but clear, energized and focused.

What if true freedom isn’t found in getting things or pleasurable vices, but in not needing those in the first place? In being content with our lives and satisfied with our daily choices. We should treat our future selves with respect, and let go of these negative patterns.

Freedom is not found being attached to these pacifiers of pleasure. Freedom is relaxing into the moment and being at ease with ourselves and minds. We don’t need these vices, and they don’t benefit us.

The good news is we have the ability to change, to overcome, and to adapt to our new lifestyle. It will likely be uncomfortable at first. But comfort isn’t what we were made for. We’re more than that.

Change is available to us, we just need to make the choice to take the leap of faith. With no regrets.