Discipline

Hey folks, sorry it’s been so long. I’ve been crazy busy lately with basketball and classes and everything else, but I want to keep getting my thoughts on the page so they aren’t just stuck in my mind all the time. So here…

Sometimes in life, we think that we should do whatever we want to do all the time and get whatever we want if we can help it at all. However, I think this is not always best for us. There are times when it is truly best for what we desire to not happen. These times are important for us to realize life is not always fair and it can help us grow into the realization that pain is just a part of life no matter what we do to avoid it and we will just have to accept it eventually. Another reason these times are important is because sometimes we need to willingly give up one thing in order to attain something potentially better. Giving up a good thing for the best thing.

Usually the best things in life do not just fall into our laps. Often, we must work for these things. Things like love, dedication to anything, and relationships all take effort.

If someone is dedicated and passionate about a sport, they will work and work to get better at it so they can reach their full potential of the player or athlete that they want to become. Conditioning and working hours and hours in the offseason can get quite annoying after a while, but you won’t have the skills and toughness you need if you don’t discipline yourself to put in the work when it is hard.

In the same way, relationships and love take discipline and hard work. You may have convinced yourself that you are with the right person at the right time, but it may not really be that way. God may have other plans for you. I think we are good at convincing ourselves that we know what we are doing even though we may have no idea what we’re doing at all. I know that’s how I was. I’ve been in a relationship where I thought I knew it was best for me. When it ended, I was shocked that I could have been wrong, but now I know what happened was for the best. I have grown because of the situation so much and I am now thankful for the pain I had to experience and am a better person because of it. You just have to discipline yourself to know that whatever happens will work out for the best in the long run. God always has a plan. You have to discipline yourself to let the best thing happen instead of settling for something that will temporarily satisfy you.

Patience is one area of discipline that can be extremely hard, but also necessary. There are certain things that we want in life that we think we are ready for. It could be a relationship or some sort of reward or anything. But when we think we are ready for it, we think we should have it now. Sometimes, those things don’t happen for a long time, but they happen when we truly are ready. I think God has a bit of a sense of humor when it comes to timing that we just don’t understand. But his timing is always right.