May 19, 2025- Discipline and reflection

"Willpower without self-awareness is as useless as a cannon commanded by a blind man.”

~Roy Baumeister

Willpower is an essential human skill. But, like all other forms of power, it can be used to corrupt. Our willpower can become so strong, our resilience so steadfast, that we are able to endure the worst of conditions. We may forget that we have the ability to make choices. We can change our conditions. We can create a life in which we don’t have to endure things that do not serve us, yet are within our control.

If we are not willing and able to reflect on our current conditions, be honest about how they impact us, and decide whether our current behaviors are improving our lives, we will go right along, doing what we’ve always done. At this point, our willpower becomes more of a curse than a blessing. Our ability to endure discomfort to keep repeating the same behaviors may pull us further away from the life we dream of.

We must reserve our willpower for the things outside our control. We cannot control the universe around us, so we are going to be forced to endure some things to get to where we want to go. At the same time, we must be willing to remove the barriers that we can control. Yes, we can learn and grow through struggle, but we can also be crushed by it.

Today, value both discipline and reflection. Accept what you can’t change and adjust what you can to build a better version of you.