When all is said and done, discipline is the virtue we need to navigate the rough seas of life and discover our treasures. Many volumes have been written on the virtue of discipline, and while that is the case, it helps to reemphasize its importance..

Discipline is the art of mastering ourselves mentally, emotionally, morally, and physically. This is the essence of doggedness. Real strength is not about leading others but about leading oneself. Discipline requires one to set goals, filter distractions, control unhelpful inhibitions, prioritize activities, and pursue the goals set. Discipline is the ability to focus on one course of action until that goal has been accomplished. Research shows that certain brain regions like the anterior cingulate cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex, and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex are responsible for or aid in the carrying out of the functions listed above. Just as weightlifting builds the body, these regions of the brain can also be developed. But to develop these regions of the brain, one needs discipline.

Discipline is a tedious task but one where the rewards are great. It requires us most times, to stick to a set of habits and rules.

It is one thing to abide by a set of rules governing an organisation but another when it comes to personal principles. How dogged are we to set rules or principles for ourselves and stick to them? Are you the type that thinks that it is okay to steal your friend’s girlfriend or your brother’s girlfriends? Are you the type to allow disrespect from your girlfriend slide? (The more we allow that, the more we assist in digging our own grave). Or from a friend or even a brother? If it is a brother, you call him out. As men, we deserve respect and honour. If we can’t defend ourselves against disrespect, then the question begs to be asked, are we men? So, calling out your brother for his disrespect is helping that brother out.

Most times, when we indulge in self-analysis, we discover that we have been lagging in certain areas of life but that is inevitable, perfection is a utopian luxury. While that is the case, life requires that we ascend the evolutionary ladder. So, self-development is a lifelong journey and the earlier we embark on it the better we become for it. In the end, we discover that we are the obstacles to those aspirations and ideals we dream of. And to reach those ideals, the only obstacle we need to overcome is ourselves. This can only be achieved through discipline. For some Philosophers and Psychologists, the end goal is not the goal but rather the process of reaching that goal. In the end, it is what we become through the process of discipline that counts.

Self-discipline starts with the mastery of thoughts. If you can’t control what you think, you cannot control what you do.

– Napoleon Hill

Some of the benefits of discipline are:

1. Willpower

Here the question remains, do we need willpower to be disciplined or do we need to be disciplined to develop willpower? One thing is certain. The more we exercise discipline, the stronger our willpower becomes. In most cases, willpower is interchangeable with self-discipline. According to most psychological scientists, willpower can be defined as, “The ability to delay gratification, resisting short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals. It is the capacity to override an unwanted thought, feeling, or impulse.

The key difference between self-discipline and willpower is this. Self-discipline is the ability to control our habits and behaviour to achieve a specific outcome. It involves making a conscious effort to follow a plan or routine even if it is difficult or unpleasant. Willpower, on the other hand, is the ability to resist temptation and urges. For example, if one decides to quit smoking, it is willpower that will make him hold his ground when he craves the urge to smoke or even when amid those who smoke. Both are necessary and are encouraged to be developed. We are men and our goal is to conquer the world. But first, we must conquer ourselves. For what does it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul? We all know of those cases where gambling, women, alcohol, and drugs have ruined the lives of men. May that not be our lot in life.

Just a little contemplation on willpower, one sees the world of benefits one can achieve through it. But Mystics have taken it to a whole new level. It is related that Saint Pedro Pio of the Catholic Church was able to bilocate. An instance is recorded where he saved the life of a little girl dying of cancer in a hospital in America at the same time he was celebrating a Mass in Italy. St. Alphonsus Liguori, an 18th-century Italian Bishop is related to have appeared in multiple locations to provide spiritual guidance to people. Paramahansa Yogananda, an Indian Mystic or Yogi, in his classic book, ‘Autobiography of a Yogi which I have read, related an incident he experienced first-hand of a Yogi who appeared in two locations at the same time.

Hindu and Buddhist monks have also related similar tale. Islamic Sufis have related same and modern Occultists have experimented with the phenomena of bilocation and discovered it to be possible. Such abilities can be developed. At least, if it is to save one’s life it is worth the effort. But without discipline, such abilities can’t be developed. Recently, research in Quantum Physics, or rather in Quantum Mechanics, showed that the behaviour of an atom is not what it is believed to have been. The experiment conducted showed that, if we take an atom and try to locate its electron, we won’t be able to locate it because it is a wave and not a particle. It is spread all around space. It’s only when we focus hard to pinpoint it, that it becomes a particle. In other words, if we are not paying attention, it is a wave and if we pay attention it becomes a particle. It is a phenomenon that is still baffling Scientists. Since we are made of billions of atoms, it is therefore scientifically possible to bilocate. It may take a while to ascend that evolutionary ladder to achieve such feats. But this is not the point of this skull session. It is only hinted so that we have an idea of what the power of discipline can do for us.

It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.

– Zig Ziglar

2. Focus/Attention

With discipline and willpower, our ability to focus becomes sharper. That laser-like focus necessary for success is only a set of discipline away. How sharp your attention is, is determined by how disciplined you are. The undisciplined man’s attention is the servant of his vision rather than his master. The mind is like a butterfly; always jumping from one point to the other. But it is in our power to steer it back to what we want to focus on. The moment we allow the mind to control us, we are fucked. No worthwhile invention can be made without a laser-like focused attention. Nikola Tesla whose work was hijacked by Thomas Edison discovered Alternating Current. It is related that even while asleep he is conscious enough to acquire knowledge and that some of the knowledge he shared with humanity was gotten in a dream. To get to that high state of consciousness whereby we are conscious enough even in the dream world to acquire knowledge requires a high level of discipline. So as men, mental discipline is necessary if we are to navigate our goals. The Meta-physician knows that before any worthwhile achievement can be made in Meta-physics, the mind, and attention by extension, must be subdued and controlled. This requires discipline.

Attention is forceful in proportion to the narrowness of its focus. The desire or wish which realizes itself is a desire upon which attention is exclusively concentrated. An idea or wish is endowed with power only in proportion to the degree of attention fixed on it.

Just as a branch withers and dies if the sap of the vine ceases to flow towards it, so also do our dreams and ambitions fade away if we fail to sustain them with attention. Our attention is the sap of life which sustains our heart desires and nurtures them into reality. When all is said and done, we are limited only by our uncontrolled imagination and the lack of attention to the feeling of our wishes or heart desires fulfilled. When these two virtues are lacking, no amount of prayer or piety can help us.

When we direct our attention to what we want rather than what we don’t want, we activate dormant genetic potentials associated with enhanced creation abilities. I think it is not so far from the truth when I say this is the basis of the law of attraction. Our cells are constantly listening to our internal dialogues and influence our ability to attract in proportion to our focused attention. The Brain Imaging Research shows something fascinating. When one maintains focused attention on a desired goal, one activates a quantum coherent network within the consciousness. These networks synchronize our brain waves with the frequency of what we want to attract. I think it was Tesla who also said, that if we want to understand the world, we should consider it in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.

Control your laziness and you will understand how much success you have been avoiding.

– Unknown

3, Meditation

Naturally, the discourse on attention leads to meditation, for meditation is only a higher form of attention. Again, through discipline, one can cultivate this healthy practice. All great inventors are students of meditation. Nikola Tesla no doubt indulged in the practice. The benefits of meditation cannot be over-emphasized.

Unfortunately, most people hear the word and cringe within themselves as if it is something evil. There is a whole world of good that can be benefited from meditation. Aside from the mystical benefits, doctors are now recommending it to their patients. It has been discovered that meditation can help in alleviating stress. It reduces anxiety. It improves the quality of sleep. It improves one’s mood. It increases focus.

It enhances the brain, the memory, and self-awareness. In almost all my skull sessions, I have always stressed the importance of self-awareness. To know who we are. Self-awareness is the beginning of wisdom. So, we can easily understand why Mystics are fond of this practice. Mystics hardly pray. If they pray at all, it is to thank the God of their heart. If we are tossed here and there by the problems of life, it is then time to meditate. But we need not wait to be tossed here and there before we meditate. This is why discipline is necessary here also. The beauty of discipline is that, after a while, these habits become second nature to us. They operate on autopilot. Now the beauty of meditation is that it helps one transcend time and space. I am yet to see a Mystic who is afraid of death.

Through meditation, one begins to see life from a new perspective. One automatically realizes that death is an illusion. What people call death is but a transition to another realm of life just as birth is a transition to this realm of life. Life goes on. When one begins to meditate, one begins to see the interconnectedness of all life. One begins to see and appreciate the sacredness of life.

It is for this reason some Mystics have chosen to be Vegetarians and Vegans. For they cannot bear to consciously take the life of an animal. Through meditation, our intuition becomes sharpened. We instinctively know certain things without knowing how we got to know them. It is as if after attuning to the universal consciousness, we are blessed with certain knowledge. I can easily see why doctors recommend it. There was never a time I meditated and did not feel happy afterward. It is through meditation we easily realize that we are spiritual beings having a human experience and not the other way around.

So just from discipline alone, we can see a world of good it can do for us. The question is, are we ready to pick up the cross of discipline and embark on a voyage? I have found out that a simple way to start with discipline is our ability to say ‘no’. For no man is free who is enslaved by his addictions. We all are different and we all have a different cross to carry. I know in the past I have messed up but I am willing this time to prove to myself I can do better. This skull session is just as good for me as it is for those on the same boat. Is the problem alcohol, smoking, gambling, looting or not being able to keep one’s word? We all can do better and should.

The question is, are you going to be disciplined enough, rugged enough to tackle it head-on?