Discipline is what sets apart a mediocre person from an extraordinary one. The ability to go further than others, to have discipline is very complicated. It requires practice and deceiving your brain because as humans, we have a primitive instinct that makes us seek dopamine, a substance generated in our brain that gives us a sensation of pleasure.
It makes sense, as our brain rewards us with pleasure when we perform actions that are favorable for us, such as eating when we're hungry, drinking when we're thirsty, and reproducing to pass on our genes as a species. Dopamine has allowed human beings to progress, but it has one unique problem: it is addictive. We are not perfect machines; we have our flaws.
For example, we age and die. In the case of dopamine, it is responsible for addictions: addiction to social media, addiction to video games, addiction to drugs. We have found ways to make our brain generate dopamine quickly and effortlessly, instant gratification.
The current world is full of stimuli that awaken our instant gratification, and this is a problem. Most things that give us instant gratification do not contribute anything to us; they only provide pleasure. Our brain no longer generates dopamine when we perform actions that truly benefit us as individuals.
Now, it generates dopamine with the sole objective of obtaining pleasure. Once that need is fulfilled, we no longer have incentives to perform actions that truly benefit us, especially if they require effort. This is the biggest problem of today's society: people have forgotten the feeling of satisfaction after achieving something through effort.
"Why should I make an effort if I can feel good without it? " Throughout your life, you have probably experienced the frustration of wanting to do something, like exercising or starting a new project, and initially, when you're motivated, everything goes well. But as soon as the motivation disappears, you are unable to continue.
That is a lack of discipline. You have the idea of having a fit and trained physique, so you decide to join the gym and go every day. The first week, you don't miss a single day because you feel motivated.
But during the second week, there's a day when you feel tired and think, "I'll go tomorrow. I'll rest today. " And the next day, the same thing happens, and the following day.
How do we solve this problem in a society that rewards instant gratification? How can I become disciplined to achieve what I set out to do, even on days when I lack motivation We have the example of Miyamoto Musashi, even though he was not a stoic philosopher, we can learn a lot from his life and philosophy, and apply it to our own lives to become more disciplined. Before we continue, I would appreciate it if you liked the video, as it helps me spread this philosophy to more people.
If you don't want to miss any videos, subscribe and hit the bell, and I also invite you to follow me on my other social networks. The link is in the video description. Miyamoto Musashi was a Samurai who was born in Japan in 1584.
From a young age, he wanted to become the best swordsman in all of Japan, so he trained hard and traveled throughout the country, training and facing the best duellists of the time. It is said that he fought in more than 60 duels and never lost. In many cases, he fought against multiple enemies at once, so he learned to use a sword in each hand.
He was also a philosopher and wrote several books, including "The Book of Five Rings," where he captured all his philosophy and his path based on discipline to become the best warrior in Japan. His philosophy of life can be summarized in these four points: Reject desire: Miyamoto Musashi avoided doing things just because they gave him pleasure. He believed that this would make him weak and undisciplined.
By rejecting desire, that is, instant gratification, the only way his brain had to generate dopamine was through effort and achievement. For example, when he defeated an opponent in a duel or finished a sword training session, he tricked his brain into believing that effort was the only way to feel good. In this way, if he wanted to feel good, the only thing he could do was to work hard.
Miyamoto knew that greatness had a price, and he needed to pay it no matter how difficult it was. Do you think he would have become the best swordsman by waking up late or skipping a training session when he didn't feel like it? Miyamoto Musashi said, "Time is well spent when you do something with a valuable purpose, and there is nothing that comes close to that feeling.
" 2. Focus on one thing at a time: Miyamoto believed that focusing on and mastering one art could open up a thousand different paths. He decided to master the art of the sword, working relentlessly and pushing his limits constantly.
His skill opened up many opportunities for him throughout his life. Focus on mastering one skill instead of trying things as you please. Often, the motivation to do many things at once can result in not completing any of them.
It's easier to be disciplined with one task, and once that task becomes part of our daily routine, we can move on to the next. This way, we build a habit and no longer rely on motivation to do what we need to do. Take it step by step and focus on one task at a time.
3. Never abandon your path: One of the main reasons people lack discipline is the lack of patience. When we start something new, we seek quick results.
Because we are accustomed to the instant gratification offered by society today. Miyamoto Musashi. Constantly reminded himself never to abandon the path.
Just like any human being striving for a goal, he had moments of doubt. If we have a clear goal, we need to focus and be patient. The key is to be sure of what we are doing, to pause and think if we are truly committed to our goal and willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to achieve it.
With a clear idea and by combining patience and focus on what needs to be done, sooner or later you will accomplish what you set out to do. That is the formula for discipline. 4.
Live with honor: Miyamoto Musashi followed the principles of Bushido, the way of the warrior. Bushido consisted of a set of conduct rules for samurais, comprised of seven virtues: honor, respect, integrity, honesty, courage, compassion, and loyalty. Of these seven virtues, honor is the most important in Bushido.
Honor is self-respect. If you respect yourself, you behave with honesty, respect, integrity, courage, compassion, and loyalty. Acting with honor also implies not cheating or seeking shortcuts in life, nor choosing the easy path.
If you respect yourself, You don't behave like someone who needs instant gratification or is incapable of making an effort. If you respect yourself, you know what you are capable of and you don't give up in working day by day towards a goal. By behaving in an honorable manner, you become disciplined.
What do you think of Miyamoto Musashi's philosophy? I look forward to your response in the comments. It's important to note that we are not perfect and we will fail many times when we try to be disciplined.
We must be realistic and understand that things may not go as we want them to quickly, and we will make mistakes. It's important that when we stray from the path, we return to it no matter how many times we deviate, and we do so quickly. With time, we will deviate less frequently.
Train your discipline, just like Miyamoto trained with his swords. Be consistent and make an effort. If you live without working on your discipline, try to do something challenging or unpleasant for yourself at least once a day.
I hope this video serves you well in achieving your goals. I'll leave two videos here that you'll surely enjoy. Until next time.
