discipline and appreciation
discipline: training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.
appreciation: a feeling or expression of admiration, approval, or gratitude.
if resiliency is about getting back on the wagon when you fall off, discipline and appreciation are the wagon to get back onto.
discipline to push through discomfort, anxiety and fear towards a worthy, achievable goal.
and appreciation of the effort, courage and patience it took to pursue that goal.
I have only recently come to see the value of appreciation, with discipline being something I've understood for a while.
both parts of climbing a mountain are vital: the difficult and testing ascent, as well as the rewarding and peaceful view at the summit.
viewing each challenge before me as a mountain to climb and then appreciate seems to be the best way to go about doing most anything.
discipline and appreciation, like all aspects of a person, are muscles.
to be trained and strengthened through applied use.
and which will atrophy and weaken through disuse.
the bright side is that the more one applies themselves to challenging (but reasonably achievable) tasks, the stronger the muscle of discpline grows, and it becomes easier to take on new challenges.
similarly, the more one appreciates their efforts and the efforts of those around them, the more time one is able to spend feeling rewarded and peaceful at the summit of challenging mountains.
may we have the strength, faith and gentleness required to maintain discipline in working towards worthy goals.
and may we have the clarity of mind, compassion and perspective to deeply appreciate our own efforts and the efforts of others.
I am mostly reiterating ideas others have presented to me, and to those individuals I owe immense gratitude.
to most everyone I've interacted with, I owe immense gratitude for shaping my experience in this world, on the whole much more for the better.
thank you all, may I give back more in the very near future.