Dedication > Discipline
On the fourth and final episode of January called “Is Your Discipline Expansive?,” Makena and Reena SenGupta chat about discipline in the world of spirituality. Makena starts the podcast by explaining why she prefers the term dedication over discipline.
"I really prefer the word 'dedication' over 'discipline,’” she says. “I'm dedicated to the growth of my business, but it doesn't mean we need to apply the concept of discipline to it."
There is a crucial difference between the two terms and, even more importantly, there is a large difference in connotation. Discipline connotes a need to override, punish, obey whereas dedication feels filled with passion and depth. Reena agrees.
"Discipline sounds very strict and very forced and when you are leaning into the spiritual embodiment of your highest self; there's nothing strict about that,” Reena says. “It's free; it's the opposite of discipline.”
Reena explains that many of her clients get stuck on the concept of discipline, specifically in regards to daily actions. We rarely think about discipline from the perspective of purpose or values, such as being disciplined in pursuit of morality or passion.
"I tell my clients not to be disciplined with their daily actions or that obsession with crushing it or hustling, but instead, be disciplined with what they know their purpose is,” Reena says.
Reena makes such an important point here. What if we reframed discipline as a drive to pursue a larger passion or purpose, not as daily actions or routines? By focusing on the consistency of daily actions, we lose sight of the larger purpose we are operating under.
Reena gives the example of how she created an extensive, hour-and-a-half-long morning routine early in COVID that served her for a while, but eventually got in the way of her growth.
"I had to have a really honest moment with myself and ask 'what do I want my morning routine for?’” Reena says. “I boiled it down to that I wanted my morning routine to give me the energy to fuel me for the big things I'm going to do the rest of the day. Then I asked myself 'what other ways can I reach that goal other than this hour and a half long practice?'"
Reena’s example goes back to the idea of a spiritual chore chart, essentially the concept that there are specific actions we need to take to be spiritual (think meditation, tapping, yoga, etc.). This concept also mirrors the idea of specific daily actions vs. intention. Imposing those daily actions to fit into a stereotype of spirituality doesn’t actually help you reach your purpose or follow your intuition.
"We need to shift our concept of discipline from a fast action that is immediate and doesn't require any conscious thought to instead it is an active reflection and refinement and excruciating honesty within yourself,” Reena says.
What if we were disciplined about reflection and honesty instead of a specific behavior or routine? What would that look like? Makena and Reena make the important point here that control is at the root of discipline. We have a deep need to control our bodies, our environment, our lives. As Reena says so eloquently, “Control, what a doozy!"
The podcast ends with a conversation about reframing discipline to fit our needs, instead of letting it control our lives.
"This is one of the only times I will say being extremely disciplined is beneficial; when we look at how our energy is being spent; how we are taking in things that are out of our control; how we are responding emotionally and physically,” Makena says.
Reena agrees and adds that discipline can be crucial to understanding ourselves, our needs, and pursuing our passions. But it also has the potential to derail us. We spend so much of our lives prioritizing the wrong kind of discipline which leaves us without direction or our intuition to rely on.
"Ultimately, discipline is expansive. We talked about financial fears, politics, spirituality which is so mysterious and confusing and we never know what the next step is, but at the end there is this expansive peace which feels fun and amazing,” Reena says. “That is the fun part of growth. That's when you know you are doing discipline right."
This was our final episode of January and our last episode on discipline. We have a new theme starting February first that we are so excited to share with everyone. If you haven’t already, check out our past three podcasts on discipline!
Resources:
F*ck Wellness episode 4: “Discipline, the Grit Scale, and How Society Measures Success”
F*ck Wellness episode 5: “Discipline or Abuse? A Conversation about Athletics, Group Fitness, and Performing Arts”
F*ck Wellness episode 6: “The Allure of Discipline: A Case Study with Lara Vanderbilt”
From the episode: