Discipline
I heard Will Smith in an interview define the word discipline in a very insightful way . He stated that “ Self- Discipline is the definition of self love.” He went on to say that “ when you say you love yourself , you exhibit behavior and habit toward yourself “. “You cannot win the war against the world (outside adversity) until you win the war against your own mind. Another definition that I have heard and subscribe “The ability to choose what you want most over what you want now”; the ability to dictate time allocation towards long term well being of over short-term pleasure .
This is my current greatest battle . In this season of my life, the pressure and adversity pushes me to find immediate escape or short-term perceived peace /satisfaction. I say perceived piece because in the microcosm of that moment , choosing the activity that feels easy and has least resistance is only perceived to be what you want “most” when seen through myopic lenses. Its so easy to think about this personal journal manifesting into a book and other forms of media in the future than to actually sit down, set a timer and actually write every week regardless how I feel. What we want most in life takes a prolonged period of time allocated towards process. We don’t like delaying gratification, we don’t like process. However, here is the reality…….. nothing in life is free and nothing worth while comes without sacrifice . Me deciding to forego writing this journal and my other notes on the process of building a 100-unti restaurant group comes at the cost of possibly my book and building a following and a lifetime of regret , self-resentment and sadness. The sacrifice put forth to pursue my dream comes at a cost of short term discomfort and effort but check this out…… the sacrifice pays dividends the ability to practice discipline for a prolonged period of time yields positive fruit. You WILL see and experience a positive return on investment not only in the long term but also for a long time!!!!! This current stage of permitting , construction meetings , finance meetings , paperwork etc. is not the sexiest part of the business. However by me choosing to lean into this part and choose long term results , I am getting closer to my vision and learning invaluable tools that will help me with the next location. Short term gratifications will always be there . you can always watch tv or buy a jacket or go out with friends , but there is a window of sorts on achieving long term gratification. Choose to care for yourself. Invest in those actions that serve you long term and plan time to enjoy short-time follies . Do not let your short term determine your long term. Nothing good in life comes of this game plan . Discipline is the key !!!!!!
Peace,