Discipline

The other day I was at the gym running, which in my opinion is one of the most laborious tasks out there. But I was determined (actually, trying to be determined) to finish my half hour--that's really about all I can take. A girl in front of me was running as well and on the back of her t-shirt it read: The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret. That quote (albeit cheesy) really struck a chord with me so over and over I repeated it in my head as I finished my run. I was surprised how much it helped--it got me through those last ten minutes! Even though it was on the back of someone's t-shirt specifically geared for people who are athletes, I liked the idea . . . especially the real world application. While I'm far from perfect, I don't have a lot of regrets in my life, I think because I have strived to act to the best of my ability. I accept my shortcomings, but I don't think that weaknesses are a proper excuse for not trying. Some of us may shy away from the idea of discipline, but I've found that when I'm disciplined in certain aspects of my life I'm much happier. I've found that discipline is often undermined, but it is usually the place where I find my true grit, my strength to see something through. I'm sure there are a lot of us out there that are trying to see something through, it's nice to know that we're not limited to waiting and seeing, but we are actually capable to take life in our own hands and shape it ourselves.