We are decolonizing the term Discipline - stripping away the patriarchal, dogmatic, and authoritarian tones and rhetoric surrounding the word.
Let's start with the most common definition:
dis·ci·pline
/ˈdisəplən/
noun
noun: discipline
the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.: "a lack of proper parental and school discipline". synonyms: control, regulation, direction, order, authority, rule, strictness, a firm hand, routine, regimen, training, teaching, instruction, drill, drilling, exercise, use of punishment
If you felt an immediate full-body rejection of the definition above, you are not alone!
Discipline has held a place in our social consciousness very like, if not exactly like, oppression, servitude, and obedience. That translates to discipline within our internal spaces as violence and internalized oppression.
As a culture, we are rightfully (and thankfully) redefining discipline to indicate caring for our Highest-Self rather than controlling ourselves to achieve moral superiority.
We are going from:
Getting up early makes me better than anyone who doesn’t.
We are going to:
Getting up early makes me feel better throughout the day, and it improves my well-being.
When we are leveling up our well-being, we are liberating ourselves and others to transform and emit strength without overpowering or demeaning others. This mindset also allows us to appreciate when someone around us experiences vitality, deterring us from feeling envy or betrayal — we refrain from cutting ourselves and others “down to size.”
