Discipline: Thinking for yourself

All of us have friends that we like to hang out with and do things with.  Not all of our friends and acquaintances will have the same goals or even values that we have.  So what would happen if one of our friends asks us to take part in something that is not a good choice for us?  We know what that is called.  It is peer pressure.

No matter your age there is peer pressure on everyone and all of us must use our discipline so we do not allow others to get in the way of us making good choices for ourselves.  Every choice we make is going to have a result or a consequence.  It can be good for us and move us closer to reaching our goals and living our values or it can be bad for us and result in a bad consequence.

What would happen if we gave in to peer pressure to use drugs or alchohol, take part in an unsafe prank, or to not tell our parents the truth about a matter?  What would happen if we allow others goals for us to sway us from our own goals?

Even as teens and adults we can be swayed to consider following a line of work or education that does not really fit into our ‘purpose’ in life – or into what really makes us happy.  Then years later as we trudge through life and realize we are not happy, we may blame others for making us follow a certain course.  

Be 100% responsible for yourself. Recognize that “Discipline is remembering what you want.”  So what are the goals you are going after, that you really want to reach?  Think for yourself, do not be pushed by others to do something that is not in line with your goals and stay focused.  

Just because your friend are doing it – does not mean that we should do it too.  When you have discipline, you think for yourself!

Using time and talent is good citizenship

The most valuable thing that we have to share with our communities are our time and our talent. The theological author, Richard Whatley once said, “A man is called selfish not for pursuing his own good, but for neglecting his neighbors.” All of us have some talent, whether we are young children or adults. The question we can ask ourselves is, how can I use my time or talents to help others in my immediate community, or in the larger more distant communities.

They may be simple ways of using our talents like reading or performing a play or playing an instrument. It may be helping to build a house or some other renovation. It could be walking a dog or simply picking up trash in a park. None of these require any more than our time and our talent.

If we can help our children see that time and talent is just as valuable or more, we will be guiding them to to become great citizens of their community and of the world.

Appreciation

Young students
Appreciation means: “I know how special you are and I thank you!”
Older students, teens, adults:
Appreciation means being fully aware and thankful for both the little and big things in life.

Confidence

Young students
Confidence means: “I believe in myself!”
Older students, teens, adults:
Confidence means trusting ourselves and knowing that we can do it.

Goal Setting

Young students

Goal setting means: “I have the recipe to achieve my dreams!”

Older students, teens, adults:

Goal setting is deciding what you’d like to achieve and making a plan to achieve it.

Tolerance

Young students

Tolerance means: “Even though we’re different, we can all get along!”

Older students, teens, adults:

Tolerance means: An attitude of openness and respect for the differences that exist among people.