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Discipline…
A topic I’ll never get bored of.
I recently finished reading Discipline Is Destiny by Ryan Holiday,
and I wanted to share some key takeaways that stuck with me.
Here are 10 lessons I picked up that are worth reflecting on:
1. Discipline is not a punishment, it's a way to avoid punishment. We do it because we love ourselves. We value ourselves and what we do.
2. Self-discipline is giving everything you have... and knowing what to hold back.
3. Get better every day. Do the best you can. Do it over again. It's a beautiful irony: You're never content with your progress and yet, you're always content because you're making progress.
4. Attack the dawn. When you have trouble waking up, when you find it hard, remind yourself of who you come from, remind yourself of the tradition, and remind yourself of what is at stake.
5. Ruling over yourself. Greatness is not just what one does, but also what one refuses to do. It's how one bears the constraints of their world or their profession, it's what we're able to do within limitations - creatively, consciously, calmly.
6. Put up boundaries. Enforce them - gently but firmly. Treat everyone else with respect as you'd want for your own. Be an adult in a world of emotional children.
7. Silence is strength. The irony, of course, is that with power comes license to say whatever you want, whenever you want, to whomever you want. And yet, it is the discipline to not do these things that creates the presence that powerful people enjoy.
8. To remain oneself in a world that pushes for conformity takes courage. It takes courage and temperance to be restrained in a world of excess, where we attack and mock those who don’t indulge in the pleasures we have rationalized and the passions we’ve excused in ourselves.
9. While we hold ourselves to the highest standards—and hope that our good behavior is contagious—we cannot expect everyone else to be like us. It’s not fair, nor is it possible.
10. The fire within us can burn bright enough to warm others. The light within us can illuminate the path for others. What we accomplish can make things possible for others.
Friend, let me know what your favorite lesson is from the book.
Which resonated with you most?
Hit me up with a reply.
Much love,
Mason - Founder of New Mentalities