It is felt that a disciplined mind leads to happiness and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering, and in fact it is said that bringing about discipline within one's mind is the essence of the Buddha's teaching.
—the 14th Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Handbook for Living
Sometimes, the hardest terrain to navigate is that of our own internal dialogue.
Incessant thinking, catastrophising, fantasizing, addictive thought patterns—our minds often bounce from one unobserved thought to the next, from one judgemental thought pattern to the other.
In many ways this is a root cause of much suffering. And this is true whether you consult Seneca or the Buddha.
So how does one gain discipline over the lawless regions of their internal narrative?
The first step is often much simpler than one might think: observation.
More often than not, simply noticing your addictive or negative thought patterns will harmlessly put an end to them.
In many ways, disciple is first about observing that which we do unconsciously, our sleepwalking habits so to speak.
Consider choosing a gesture you make everyday—crossing your legs, rubbing your forehead, stroking your chin. The kind of gesture that happens without you even realizing it.
And then, choose not to do it. Observe yourself as you begin, 100 times a day, to unconsciously do the thing which you’ve committed not to do.
This harmless exercise is a simple way to begin cultivating an attitude of mindful awareness that allows you begin assessing, triaging, and shifting your behavior and decisions to fall in line with your deepest goals.
In many respects, the ability to be aware is often the first step in cultivating regular habits of self-discipline.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, feel free to comment below and share with a friend who’d find this interesting!
Matt