Top 5 things I learned from my dad

In honor of Father's Day, here are the top 5 things I learned from my amazing dad. He and my mom continue to be the best examples I could ever ask for, and I still learn so much from them every time we're together.

1. God first, others second, self third. Moral of the story... selfishness gets you nowhere; selflessness gets you anywhere you want to go.

2. You can do anything you want in life as long as you work half the day. You choose which half; the first 12 hours or the second. Moral of the story... Work hard, play hard. You have to work hard in life and be disciplined. But when you are, reward yourself by making the time to do things you enjoy.

3. Don't complain about the problem if you're not willing to be part of the solution. Moral of the story... Sitting around complaining about a problem without working towards solving said problem is a monumental waste of your time. Take action toward change, or you have no right to complain.

4. Ask God to help you accept the things you cannot change, give you courage to change the things you can, and grant you the wisdom to know the difference. Moral of the story... This serenity prayer speaks for itself. It's something my dad taught me at a young age and something I've held on to ever since.

5. Eat life up with a big ol' spoon. Moral of the story... You don't know what this life is going to dish out. All you can do is make the best of every moment you're given.

Dad's play a fundamental and irreplaceable role in our lives. Some of us are blessed to still have our dad's around. Others celebrate their fathers that are now in heaven. And still others never knew their real father, but had a special person step in and fill that role during their lives. No matter your situation - real dad or adopted dad, grandfather or uncle, older brother or friend - tell your "dad" thank you today.

The "D" word

Today I had a good ol' fashioned schooling on the "d" word...
Discipline.

Illustration found on forthelovemagazine.net via Google images.

Nothing like a little Godly reprimand right? That's what I had this morning.
I'm currently studying the book of Proverbs, and am finding that every chapter holds serious gems of wisdom, whether I want to hear them at that particular moment or not. And of course, I'm human, so being reprimanded for something does not quite make my top 10 list, if you know what I mean.
But today, it was necessary. Ever have those moments? They're not enjoyable, exactly, but they are freeing. It's freeing to admit you were in the wrong about something, and it's freeing to receive a new sense of determination to make change in that area.
For me, that area is discipline. One of the definitions for discipline on dictionary.com is this;

to bring to a state of order and obedience by training and control.

My life has been anything but that, lately. It amazes me how quickly things can get out of control. I've mentioned before that I should be nicknamed the "Queen of Procrastination," but all jokes aside, it's a terrible truth. 

Maybe you're like me. Maybe procrastination is your middle name and you go with the excuse, like I do, that I "work best under pressure." Ha, you know you've said that before, don't lie! And, although that is somewhat true for me, what happens when there is no pressure to do something? Like keeping my house clean, and staying on top of the laundry. There's no "deadline" for that. It's up to me to be self-disciplined and get it done. And, oh I don't know... how about, say, writing a book? I don't have a publisher yet (keyword: yet), so it's up to me to practice self discipline and work on that book. There's no deadline. It's up to me.

Discipline is so way easier said than done! I'm a volleyball coach, and discipline is essential to the success of my athletes and my team. It starts with external discipline. That's where I come in. As the coach, I create an atmosphere of discipline - a set of requirements the girls must meet or there are consequences. I do this in hopes that, after awhile, the girls will develop internal discipline. They won't need to be told certain things to do or not to do, they will be disciplined enough within themselves to do what needs to be done.

So here I sit... I'm past the external discipline. Now it's all up to me. I have to exercise internal discipline. 

Where are you at? Are you, like me, practicing procrastination instead of self-discipline? 

 

Nuggets of truth:

*Discipline means not doing everything I want to do.

Uh oh. Nobody likes to hear that. You mean I have to prioritize? You mean I have to learn how to say NO? You mean I can't do what I want, when I want to? Yep, I sure do. Questions to ask myself: Do I have time to do this? Does it benefit me? If I choose to do it, does it bring me closer to my goals?

*Discipline means living a balanced and controlled life.

I don't even know what those words mean most of the time. Balance and control? Who really has balance and control? Well, although I might not be able to have that 100% of the time, I can strive for it. In fact, for the sake of my sanity, I have to strive for it. Questions to ask myself: What feels "out of order" in my life? What steps can I take to keep things balanced? Am I inviting and accepting this lack of control?

 

I wrote down these little nuggets of truth after reading an article by Joyce Meyer in the Enjoying Everyday Life magazine. It's called "The Best Life Ever." Some other things she said...

*God designed us to be dreamers. 

*Ne need to train and cooperate with God for those dreams to be fulfilled.  

*To turn potential into completion we must make time, be determined, and work hard.

 

Do you have these obstacles, too? How do you practice discipline in your life?

 

Chew on this...

Image found via Google images search

"You can't become a leader and expect to stay a leader without developing the necessary skills and doing the hard work yourself." - Joyce Meyer

"Doing things with excellence means you don't take short cuts." - a very wise family friend, Kristine George

"Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table." - Proverbs 14:23, The Message