Discipline Precedes Harmony

09/25/21 • 11 min

Discipline is inevitable if one is to achieve harmony. Wherever you see harmony and inspiration, the underlying story is one that consists of discipline.

“Everything in the world is conducted by a gradual process. This seems to be the great principle of harmony in the universe.” William Godwin

I suppose there are two kinds of discipline, self-discipline and discipline enforced by an outside force, examples being parents, the State or authorities, God.
Discipline is observable in nature. Observing nature in light of discipline you can see the best portrayal of what Elbert Hubbard said: “Self discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.” – Look at the sun, the moon and the stars in the sky above. They are always shining and going about their course whether it is cloudy or not. They keep to their set patterns day in day out. This in many ways keeps the harmony and steadiness of conditions that allow for life to be possible on earth.

Think also of the mother hen, who after laying several eggs, has to sit on them to provide warmth and other requirements for them to hatch. The brooding process takes 21 days before the eggs hatch. The hen becomes disciplined to sit in that one spot (though I remember observing that the hen would take breaks but not for long) for all those days for the eggs to hatch. Without this kind of discipline, the eggs would not hatch. And I am certain this kind of discipline is present in many other creatures to enable them to survive and thrive.

I think one of the most beautiful moments is watching military parades during ceremonies. They are spectacular in fashion, everything is done in precision, rhythm and harmony. I think it is impossible to achieve this kind of precision and harmony without immense discipline. It is no wonder they are referred to as the disciplined forces. So clearly the harmony we see at the end, is the result of countless hours of disciplined practice and lifestyle. There can be no harmony in their marching without discipline.

In an Article titled Standards and Discipline, An In-depth Look at Where We Once Were and Where We Are Now, Command Sgt. Maj. Shelton R. Williamson gives a reflection about the history of the US Army. He writes “ As the standards and discipline of units improved, so did the success of the American Army eventually leading to victory over the British. As our Army continued to mature and take on a larger role across the globe, standards and discipline would become the very core that would separate our Army from other fighting forces around the world; often viewed by other countries as the “Gold Standard” of an Army with respect to standards and discipline. The other armies often looked at how we marched in formation, how we were consistently in the same uniform, and how strong and tactically savvy our leaders were. All of these spoke to our standards and discipline.”

He quotes George Washington, the first General or leader of the American Army, who once said “Discipline is the soul of an Army, it makes small numbers formidable; procures success of the weak and esteem to all.”

Just as discipline is crucial in the harmonious and successful operations of an army, so is it for us as individuals. We must embrace discipline to achieve success and harmony in our lives.

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should embrace discipline. Just as there is no shortcut to the top of a tree, there is no shortcut to achieving harmony in life, we have to adopt discipline, to keep at it day in and day out. If for some reason we encounter a set back, we pick ourselves up from where we fell and keep moving forward.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/harmony-deconstructed-podcast/donations

Discipline is inevitable if one is to achieve harmony. Wherever you see harmony and inspiration, the underlying story is one that consists of discipline.

“Everything in the world is conducted by a gradual process. This seems to be the great principle of harmony in the universe.” William Godwin

Just as discipline is crucial in the harmonious and successful operations of an army, so is it for us as individuals. We must embrace discipline to achieve success and harmony in our lives.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/harmony-deconstructed-podcast/donations

Previous Episode

Self-Respect and Harmony

Self-respect and the ability to see our worth, is the aspect that enables us to cultivate harmony within ourselves. Having self-respect sets us up to have cordial and harmonious interactions with others. Without self-respect, chances are, we adopt a chaotic lifestyle.

“Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life — is the source from which self-respect springs.” Joan Didion

It occurred to me the other day that the reason I sometimes struggle to do the things I plan to do could be because I do not respect myself sufficiently. I am too familiar with myself and thus I can cut myself too much slack, as they say, familiarity breeds contempt. Come to think of it, why is it that most times we are quick to meet a deadline set by someone else but without serious discipline, we can easily forgo some deadlines we set for ourselves. This usually puts me in a rut of sorts, and the result is procrastination. I easily say “I will do this tomorrow...” and tomorrow could turn to many days later. Yet on the other hand, we take seriously deadlines set by others such as clients, bosses, leasing companies, our bills, public and private services that we seek etc

In other circumstances, we meet deadlines when we give our word or commitment to a friend, someone we respect, a co-worker or an acquaintance. We strive to put our best foot forward to keep our word since our reputation is on the line. Failing to meet these deadlines can be detrimental to our reputation. It can go to show whether we are reliable or not.

I think when I respect myself, then I will make every effort to meet the commitments and deadlines I give myself. In my view, this leads to harmony within and harmony with those around me since I will keep to the commitments I make.

I think the way you carry yourself illuminates your way and ensures others respect you too for who you are and what you stand for. Ideally, the worth you place on yourself, has lots of bearing on how others perceive you and treat you. It is akin to this story told of the blind man with a lamp. There lived a blind man in a small town. This man, even though he could not see, he carried a lamp with him whenever he went out at night.

One night, when he was going back home after dinner, he met a group of young travellers. They could see he was blind, but were puzzled by the fact that he was carrying a lamp. They started questioning him and making fun of him. One of them asked him “hey man, how come you are carrying a lamp yet you are blind and do not need it?!”

The man answered “Yes I am blind and I don’t see anything, this lamp is for people like you who can see. You may not see me coming and may end up hitting me and pushing me off the path. That is the reason I carry the lamp.” The group of young travellers was ashamed of their behaviour and apologized to the man.

When you are in a place where your self-respect and your worth is valued and shines, then it enhances harmony within yourself and harmony with those around you.
Self-respect is protective to us. It ensures that we are not shaken by the views of those who do not perceive our worth or value. Consider what Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said “He that respects himself is safe from others. He wears a coat of mail that none can pierce.”
There is no harmony without self-respect. No harmony without seeing the value you bring to society, your family, your friends and the people around you. When one does not see their worth and lacks self-respect in an increasing measure, they can easily descend into a chaotic lifestyle. For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should have self-respect, we should know our worth and the value we bring. As Robert Holden said “Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have.”

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Next Episode

Humor and Harmony

It is said, laughter is the best medicine. It is free of charge, also scriptures, philosophers and medical research agree that humor or laughter has immense benefits for us human beings.

What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. ~ Yiddish Proverb

It is interesting that we only laugh with those with whom we are in harmony. Indeed to get a joke, you have to be in harmony with the one telling it. It is a show of empathy to laugh at another person’s joke. In a deeper way, we are in harmony with ourselves, our inner person, when we can laugh at ourselves. When we can see the mishaps and mistakes we have made, and see the humour in them and the lessons we pick from them. Martin Niemoller said “ If you can laugh at yourself, you are going to be fine. If you allow others to laugh with you, you will be great.”

Proverbs 17:22 says “a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” So humour which brings laughter contributes to our good health. Even though this idea has been known for centuries, medical Research has also shown that humor or laughter has immense benefits to our well being. In an article titled Laughter the best medicine in HelpGuide.com, they indicate the following benefits of laughter:

“Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Laughter burns calories. Okay, so it’s no replacement for going to the gym, but one study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn approximately 40 calories—which could be enough to lose three or four pounds over the course of a year.

Laughter lightens anger’s heavy load. Nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment.

Laughter may even help you to live longer. A study in Norway found that people with a strong sense of humor outlived those who don’t laugh as much. The difference was particularly notable for those battling cancer.”

These medical benefits are tied in some way to the social benefits of laughter. It strengthens relationships, attracts others to us, it enhances teamwork, helps defuse conflict and promotes group bonding. Thus looking at these medical and social benefits of laughter and humour, it shows how they contribute to harmony. Harmony within a person and harmony with others.

So have you laughed heartily lately? When was the last time you had a good laugh?

For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should enjoy laughter. We should look at our life on a lighter note sometimes. When we enjoy laughing at ourselves and with others, it strengthens our bond thus enhancing harmony in our lives and in the lives of the people around us.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/harmony-deconstructed-podcast/donations