March 19, 2001
He looked down into the water and watched the lines
that went straight down into the dark of the water. He kept them straighter than anyone did, so that at each
level in the darkness of the stream there would be a bait waiting exactly where
he wished it to be for any fish that swam there.
Others let them drift with the current and sometimes they were at sixty
fathoms when the fisherman thought they were at a hundred.
But, he thought, I keep them with precision.
Only I have no luck anymore. But
who knows? Maybe today. Everyday
is a new day. It is better to be
lucky. But I would rather be exact.
Then when luck comes you are ready.
Excerpt
from, The Old Man And The Sea, By Ernest Hemingway, ©1952
I used to give a lecture to college students on the process
of personal goal setting. Included
in the process, after one had set goals through a series of exercises, I came to
the fundamental issue that keeps most goals from becoming manifest; lack of
discipline.
Like most people I have different understandings for the
word discipline. One conjures up
visions of punishment, penalties or at least too much work.
The other meaning (from Webster’s Dictionary) is “training that
perfects mental faculties or moral character; to train or develop by instruction
and exercise esp. in self-control.” I
always taught that we must consciously rid ourselves of the negative
connotations and think, rather, of the highly disciplined athlete, or actor.
After all, if we had set goals based on the correct criteria, then we
should embrace discipline as the path to success.
Goal setting doesn’t seem to resonate when discussing the
soul or spirituality. The term goal
seems better suited when associated with more material aspirations and is
characterized by measurability, obtainability, etc. So what term(s) might better describe what directs our
spiritual journey?
Last week a friend wrote and said, “I sense that you are
vision oriented, not goal oriented. Imaginings
and visions and dreams and longings and desires, yes.
Fantasies and 'goals' and illusions, no.”
It reminded me of the discussion Wayne Dyer has in his book, Manifest
Your Destiny, about the way of your sacred quest versus goals.
I believe the effect discipline has on living spiritually
is as profound as it is in realizing our goals.
Like the Old Man in Hemingway’s novel, I think about those who have
been “lucky” and achieved their goals or seem very spiritual without
appearing to be very disciplined. Luck
provides a great excuse for us to just go through the motions and tell ourselves
that fate or destiny will provide rewards or insight if “it is meant to be”.
But what about that last sentence Hemingway adds: “Then when luck
comes you are ready.”
It is so easy for us to ignore the roll discipline plays in
achieving material goals like weight loss, financial security, etc.
How much more challenging is it to use discipline as a tool to nurture
our soul and witness spirituality all around us?
Rituals such as meditation, prayer, conscious living; worship in church,
temple, or synagogue; and seeking and working with spiritual teachers, are but a
few soulful disciplines that help achieve everyday spirituality.
I have been overwhelmed at how these disciplines even affect my material
goals. Could we change the paradigm
of discipline from a burden to a blessing?
If so, discipline becomes a fuel to achieve spirituality that awakens and
nurtures the soul.
With respect, acceptance, and love,
Richard