Importance Of Discipline In Life

Discipline is freedom. Lots of people disagree with this statement, because for them discipline is just a word that means excessive work and absence of freedom. This is so far from the truth! Think of the freedom you have when you speak a foreign language! It might have taken you extra effort to learn another language, but this is a skill that definitely pays off and widens your possibilities of achieving greater success in life.

Self-discipline involves acting according to what you think instead of how you feel. Often you have to sacrifice pleasures for things that really matter in life. A great example of self-discipline that comes in my mind is going to the gym when all you want to do is lie on the couch and watch TV. Or maybe say "no" to that tempting chocolate donut when you are on a diet.

We live in a world where temptations are everywhere. We never get bored. We have so much entertainment! We have TV, video games, sports, you name it. No wonder people struggle to focus on their work. Have you ever asked yourself why should you do something which is hard and boring, when you can do something that is easy and fun instead?

Well... the reality is that you don't have to work hard and you don't have to do boring tasks. No one is forcing you to do that. But if you don't do it, you will have to suffer the consequences. Why? Because the things that are worth having in life, the things that have real value, are often the things that require time, effort and hard work. But if we live in a society that makes having fun so easy, how can we focus on obtaining the things that really matter in life? The answer to this question is discipline. Discipline will help you resist the temptation of playing video games when you need to do your homework, or you need to concentrate on something that really matter and add value to your life.

From a different point of view discipline doesn't mean that you can't have fun in life. We all need time for fun and entertainment, but there must be a balance between work and play. Self discipline requires lots of hard work and a strong will. It is basically like any other skill in life. At first it is hard, but the more you practice, the stronger and easier it will become. In other words, the more you discipline yourself to resist the temptations of life, the more your self-discipline will strengthen.

If you struggle with self-discipline, the good news is that you can work on it. You can develop your self-discipline by analyzing yourself and determining your goals, dreams and ambitions. Remember that discipline means that you have to do what is best for you, regardless of how you feel. Be aware of what you are doing and what you are not doing. In other words, be aware of your undisciplined behavior and stop it before it happens.

Writing down your goals is a great idea, but it is not enough. You must make an internal commitment to your goals. You need to make a conscious decision to follow through on what you say you are going to do. There will be times when you will be faced with extreme obstacles and setbacks. They will make you reconsider your ability to accomplish your dreams. They will make you come up with excuses to procrastinate. They will make you feel hopeless, powerless, and frustrated. These are the times when you will find out what you're really made of. These are the moments you will find out just how much you want your dreams. These are the times when your character is built.

Self-discipline is not an easy task and requires a lot of courage. Pleasures and passions are powerful enemies. It is easy to stay focused when things are easy. It's when things get tough and aren't going your way; these are the times when you need to focus. Your discipline will help you stay focused on what matters during those moments. What you choose to focus on when things get tough will determine everything. In today's society that is made up of largely undisciplined and lazy people, having strong self discipline will give you an enormous advantage in life.

Did you learn from this article? Besides self discipline and general adolescent care, the author is involved in youth health awareness and family planning. Visit the website to learn more.

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Make Your Subconscious Work For You

The subconscious part of your mind is your slave; it is at your beck and call 24 hours a day, every single day of your life. Right from the moment of birth, your subconscious has been at work. Even when you are asleep, the subconscious works ceaselessly. All your bodily functions right from the beating of your heart to your breathing is taken care of by your subconscious. It keeps you alive. The subconscious stores every bit of information you send it's way, processing several thousands of these every second. When you require a certain piece of information out of the blue, it is the subconscious that gives it to you immediately. When you are looking for a solution to a problem, it is once again the amazing power of the subconscious that provides it for you.

The Dance Of The Mind:

If you have ever watched a man and woman waltz, you will understand the dance of the mind. The dance is slow and graceful. One movement leads gently into the next. The movements of both the man and the woman are synchronized and flow gracefully right through; there is perfect harmony. So it is with the mind. The conscious and the subconscious levels of the mind are like the man and woman who are waltzing. They are in perfect harmony with each other. When this happens, happiness, health and wealth prevail. The conscious and the subconscious must work together, hand in hand; side by side.

We are aware of the principle of action and reaction which states that where there is an action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is also the case of the two parts of the mind. What the conscious mind thinks, interprets and suggests to the subconscious mind must be acted upon by it with equal force. However, if, for some reason, the subconscious mind is unable to do so, the delicate balance of the two levels of the mind is disturbed, thus causing frustration.

All desires must be fulfilled and therefore must be realistic. Asking your subconscious to help you become an astronaut in a month is not going to get you anywhere. This is an example of unequal balance where the input (the request made) and the output (the request granted) do not coincide with each other. There is no harmony and no balance.

The same is the case when you consciously think negative thoughts. The thoughts get buried in the subconscious and need to find an outlet. They must be done. When they are not done, frustration, worry and anger and all the negative thoughts that you thought of, get manifested in the form of diseases such as heartburn, ulcers and cancer in the body.

In order to get your subconscious to work for you, it has to work in harmony with your conscious.

Do not worry about your subconscious. Control your conscious, and your subconscious will be taken care of. You must control what you think and what you want. You must make a conscious effort to block out all negativity and concentrate on positive thoughts always.

Arun Saraf, the founder of the Hope Academy, is one of the most eminent and well known psyche-trainer in North India. Born in 1965, Arun possessed a charismatic personality and charming attitude. After pursuing graduation, he began his journey in the quest for 'more'. He then became one of most distinguished capitalist in the field of real estate.

Read More:- http://www.thehopeacademy.co.in/arun-saraf-2/#

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In the Zone - The Flow

Have you got a talent? Is there something you are really good at? Can you remember being good at something when you were at school, but are not good at now? Here's how you might feel, if the answer to those questions is 'Yes'.

People who are exceptionally good at things - snooker players, athletes, chess players, often say that when they are doing the thing they excel in, they experience a state of being in which time flashes by - they feel on top of the world, their attention to what they are doing is such that everything around them fades into the background. Do you ever feel that way?

This state is termed 'flow' by some, being 'in the zone' by others. Sir Ken Robinson, the noted British educationalist, has found that talented people - those that find their natural talent meets their personal passion - those lucky people have found what he calls, 'the element'. Have you found your 'element'?

Psychologist, Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, states that people are at their happiest when they are in a state of flow - the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.

This is identical with being 'in the zone' and has certain characteristics.

1. Clear goals - activities align perfectly with your skills and abilities.
2. Concentrating and focusing - focusing attention on a very specific task like playing billiards, or writing a story, for example.
3. A loss of the feeling of self-consciousness - people in the zone report a certain loss of consciousness about their surroundings - and a heightened sense of awareness where their task is concerned.
4. Distorted sense of time - time flies - people report that the hours spent on the task feel like minutes.
5. Direct and immediate feedback - performance on the task is continually monitored, adjusted and perfected.
6. Balance between ability level and challenge - the activity comes naturally - it is not too easy or too difficult.
7. A sense of personal control - this is felt at maximum levels.
8. The activity is intrinsically rewarding - the activity required is effortless and feedback is positive.
9. People become absorbed in their activity, and their focus is narrowed down to the activity - awareness and attention merge and are totally directed toward the activity.
10. Note though that not all the above are necessarily required for flow to be experienced.

This 'zoning in' on a specific task, is also referred to as hyper focus, and includes using the imagination, daydreaming and focusing on concepts.

Robinson's main point in his book, 'The Element', is that each of us has this potential to find 'the element' - our own meeting of passion and talent. Most of us, he says, were benignly steered away from what we were liked or were good at as children, but that all is not lost - it can be found - it is still there, in our own minds.

Creativity, a mental and social process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concept, is one way into this - being creative - coming up with new ideas that are of value, is aided by not being afraid to be wrong -

Paul McCartney thought up the name, 'Eleanor Rigby' whilst wandering around the streets of Bristol - "The name just came to me," he says. We all know the lines of the famous song - but he couldn't have known for sure how that name would be received by the public - he wasn't afraid of being wrong - but it was so right, as it turned out.

Paul McCartney was fortunate - he found his 'element' early in life and benefited from it. We might feel it is impossible for us to be as successful as him, but in one sense, we can be; we can be at our happiest by finding our own 'element' and getting 'into the zone'; we can excel at something we loved doing, but ignored as we grew into adult-hood. Scientists are now studying savants to find out which part of their brain is activated and where their amazing abilities come from.

"Talent doesn't emerge until the conditions are right," says Robinson, "individual teachers can make a difference." The quality of the tuition, the materials used, and the techniques used to teach subjects do make a great deal of difference.

Amazingly, the musical abilities of both Paul McCartney and George Harrison were undiscovered at school. I would say most of us had talents that were either actively squandered or ignored at school, simply because they didn't fit in with the narrow curriculum or the even narrower way intelligence was conceptualized and measured.

For some, their talents lay in music, others in math or science; for some it may be art, dance, or drama. If Robinson is correct when he says that many talented, gifted people think they are not, you may be one. What are you going to do about it? Rekindle areas of your past interests to find out what you are good at.

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Personal Growth

Perhaps the most important realization that an individual can make in their quest for personal growth is that there is no single formula that defines the path to personal success. We all have different goals and priorities, which means that different activities and attitudes will make us feel good about ourselves. We also have different natural strengths and weaknesses that are a part of our inherent personality type. How then, as individuals, can we feel successful in our lives?

Understand What's Important to You

Each personality type has a different idea of what it means to be successful. Self-knowledge is one common goal that will help everyone achieve personal success. So many people are hung up on somebody else's idea of what it means to be successful, and they are unaware of what is truly important to them. This is completely normal. We all have important role-models and influencers in our lives who may have basic values that are quite different from our own. If this is the case, it's important to recognize that the discrepancy between what we have been taught is truly important and what we personally believe to be truly important is due to a difference in perspective. If we spend our time and effort trying to meet somebody else's idea of success, and ignore or belittle any conflicting messages from our own psyche, then we will find ourselves exhausted and unhappy. Realizing what is truly important to us is a major step towards achieving personal success.

Recognize Your Weaknesses Without Hiding Behind Them

While improving our self-knowledge and realizing our true goals can be very liberating, we should not discard the rules of the society in which we live. We must recognize that other people's value systems are no less important than our own. And we must recognize and accept that we live in a society in which certain personality types and behaviors are more suited towards particular tasks. This is the second key that will open the door towards personal growth.
For example, there are situations in which it is more appropriate and effective to show compassion and caring (Feeling), rather than impersonal logic (Thinking). Likewise, there are situations that call for using impersonal logic to make a decision, in which the more subjective viewpoint of the Feeling function is inappropriate and ineffective. Persons with a preference for Feeling will have a natural advantage over Thinkers in situations that require compassion and awareness of other's emotions. Conversely, persons with a preference for Thinking will have a natural advantage over Feelers in situations that require the ability to make a decision based on impersonal data.
As we learn about our personality type and the types of others, we are empowered with an understanding of why people react differently in different situations. When put into the context of Psychological Type, we can better accept and understand people's behaviors that are different from ours. These insights are extremely useful and powerful to us as individuals. However, if we are concerned with growing as individuals, we must take care not to use personality type as an excuse for our inappropriate behavior. While it's powerful and useful to notice that another person's inappropriate behavior may be due to their personality type, we cannot use the same reasoning on ourselves. We should recognize that our personality type has weaknesses, but we must use that knowledge to conquer those weaknesses rather than to excuse poor behavior. We cannot be responsible for other people's behavior, but we can control our own.
Accordingly, if we notice that someone seems to be unable to make an impersonal decision that is isolated from human perspective, we should say to ourselves, "Ah ha, here is a Feeler. This person does not use Thinking well, and that is why they're behaving this way." Yet when we as Feelers are presented with a situation that requires an impersonal approach, we should NOT say to ourselves "I am a Feeler, and can't be expected to make decisions based purely on impersonal facts and logic." This kind of rationalization for behavior is certainly an easy way out of a situation, but it enforces the weakness, making it weaker and weaker still.

Strive for Balance

Most of the weaknesses associated with any given personality type are a result of that type's dominant function overtaking the personality to the extent that the other functions become slaves to the dominant function. Although it is natural for every personality to be ruled by its dominant function, it becomes a problem when the supporting functions are not allowed to develop fully on their own because they are too busy "serving the master". In such cases, a personality can become quite imbalanced.
A situation in which the dominant function of a personality completely overshadows the other personality functions is analogous to a kingdom that is ruled by an overbearing king who requires absolute servitude. Imagine such a king sitting down to dinner in his castle. He keeps all of his servants running about to bring him dinner, and requires that they serve him fully (disregarding their own needs) until he is completed sated. His Foreign Minister, who is expected at an important affair at a neighboring kingdom, finds himself pouring ale. His Minister of Domestic Affairs, rather than addressing the issue of a failing economy, slices roast turkey. His staff grabs food for themselves here and there, but never get what they really need or want, and are consequently unsatisfied, malnourished, and underdeveloped. The issues that the staff should be taking care of are left undone, because they never finish their primary task of serving the king. The king's immediate needs are being met, and so he is tolerably happy, but he is an ineffective king. As far as he knows, everything and everybody exists simply to serve him. He has no concept of Success beyond his daily needs. Since he cannot see beyond his own needs, the entire kingdom suffers.
Likewise, a personality that has developed with a goal of serving the dominant function above all other considerations often results in a person who is imbalanced. In severe cases, the weaknesses associated with the given type are often quite apparent to others, and overshadow the individual's natural strengths. Such a drastic imbalance is not common, and may be the result of continuous and extreme stress. Most people will experience times in their lives during which they are stressed to the point of serious imbalance. People who experience this constantly have issues that need to be dealt with, and should seek help.
Much more commonly, we see individuals who exhibit both the strengths and weaknesses of their type. It is natural and healthy that each personality type is ruled by a dominant function, and that the other functions support the ruling function. We don't seek to change anyone's natural self, or to achieve a perfect balance amongst a personality's functions. By definition, a kingdom needs a king in order to exist, and a personality needs a dominant function. However, a kingdom with a well-developed and effective king (the dominant function), who has well-trained and educated advisors (the supporting functions), will thrive more than the kingdom ruled by a neglectful king who is supported by inexperienced advisors.
As we can see, Balance and Success are relative terms. They have different meaning for each of the sixteen personality types. One statement using these terms is true for all types: Balance is the key to Success.

Opening the Door

So how do we go about realizing what's truly important to us? How do we recognize our weaknesses, and learn not to hide behind them? How do we become balanced? How do we open that magical door that will show us the way to personal growth and success?
There is no quickie scheme that will make you a successful person. Psychological Type is a powerful aid in our quest for excellence, but it is not the actual solution. It is a model that will help you to expand your understanding of human nature. An improved understanding of yourself and others will help you to find, follow or expand your path. An awareness and acceptance of the fact that one personality function may be more effective than another function in a given situation will help you to understand the relevance of personal growth to your life.
Carl Jung identified a process of personal growth that he called individuation, which is essentially the conscious realization of your true self, beyond the Ego that is presented by your conscious self. Our efforts to help people develop themselves is essentially the effort to help them to realize that their personal perspectives and conscious ideas are only a small part of who they are, and that the more they try to develop and defend this superficial "self", the further they get away from their true Self. This realization helps a psyche in many concrete ways, and is also a positive step towards promoting a psyche that is open to the process of individuation. For the purposes of making this realization accessible to the general public, our writings are mostly void of complex theoretical discussion.

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