Discipline isn't punishment.
It's not shame.
It's not even about willpower.
Real discipline is about loving yourself enough to create conditions where you can truly thrive.
It's about making small promises to yourself and keeping them.
It's about building trust with the one person who will be with you your entire life: you.
When we were in active addiction, we betrayed ourselves daily.
Each promise broken, each value compromised, each morning waking up with that crushing weight of "I did it again"—these experiences shattered our relationship with ourselves.
Often, we grant ourselves the title of "Undisciplined."
I know I did.
I began idolizing many people whom I defined as 'disciplined':
A weight-lifter with a great bod;
A scholar with a wall of accolades;
A spiritual leader with a massive following;
A business executive driving a Mercedes.
Then, I made the effort to get to know them. A peek behind the curtain allowed me to see the real story:
The weight-lifter was addicted to validation;
The scholar was living up to their parents' expectations;
The spiritual leader was afraid of going to hell;
The business executive was fueled by power.
If you want to be truly set free by discipline, you must take a look at the motivation behind your behaviors.
Discipline's root word is Disciple.
A disciple is one who follows the teachings of a person or doctrine and integrates those teachings into their everyday life.
Sooo, if you want to be disciplined, you are incorporating doctrine into your everyday life.
Where many of us get this wrong is that we become disciples of unhealthy doctrine.
For example, the weight-lifter is a disciple of the "I am not enough" doctrine. So the driving force of his "discipline" is based on limiting beliefs about himself.
From the outside, he appears to be a disciplined person. On the inside, he is crying out for help and relief from his shame.
Sooooo....I invite you to stop giving yourself a hard time for not being a disciplined person.
And invite you to reframe discipline in a way that propels your recovery journey and the life ahead of you.
5 Doctrines to Disciple
What if discipline isn't about forcing yourself into rigid patterns through sheer will?
What if it's about choosing which teachings are worthy of your devotion and then allowing those teachings to flow naturally through your daily life?
Let me share five powerful doctrines that have transformed my recovery journey – doctrines worthy of becoming a disciple of:
