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Category Archives: Self-discipline
Mediterranean Course Correction
I inquired of Google this morning: “What is the Mediterranean lifestyle?” The first answer I found—and the one I intend on adapting as my own—was this, from a blog entitled, The Mediterranean Dish in a post labeled Live the Mediterranean … Continue reading
Posted in Change, Compassion, Doing Without, Empathy, Essay, Generosity, Philosophy, Ruminations, Self-discipline, Selfishness
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Transition to Acceptance
The sky is turning bright pink in the east. Earlier, it was orange and the trees against the horizon looked black, as if they were shadows. The day broke in beautiful form. But then I made the mistake of opening … Continue reading
Posted in Acceptance, Anger, Self-discipline, Serenity, Wabi sabi
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Returning to the Empty Well
This morning, as I am sometimes wont to do, I wandered aimlessly through some of my old blog posts, looking for evidence of creativity and talent. “Looking” is the wrong word. “Hoping” better describes my motive. What I found did … Continue reading
Posted in Frustration, Procrastination, Ruminations, Self-discipline, Writing
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Minimal
For years, I’ve been drawn to the concept of a minimalist lifestyle. Several years ago, I stumbled across an online video created by a young guy who designed and built tiny houses and who had created an online video series … Continue reading
Posted in Greed, Happiness, Materialism, Philosophy, Self-discipline
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Telling Lies Versus Keeping Secrets
It is not hard to keep secrets that must be kept. Secrets that have the potential to do serious damage of one kind or another—inflicting serious emotional or physical harm, for example—keep easily. While guilt may cause discomfort to the person keeping … Continue reading
Posted in Just Thinking, Philosophy, Self-discipline
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Comfort Versus Luxury
At what point does comfort cross into luxury? That question came to me this morning, unexpectedly, while I was checking the clothes dryer. I washed a mish-mash of clothes last night—jeans, t-shirts, socks, etc.—but forgot about them. When I awoke … Continue reading
The Effect of Emotion on Language
“My emotions got the best of me.” If that isn’t a ludicrous shifting of blame to an unassailable, non-existent entity, I don’t know what it is. The statement suggests emotions are entirely separate from the person experiencing them. Yet it’s … Continue reading
Posted in Emotion, Self-discipline
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Peanuts are Purveyors of Pain
I’ve been awake for nearly an hour, after almost ten and a half hours of fitful and uncomfortable sleep. We got home just after six-thirty last night, after spending all day at the Showcase of the Arts at the Ponce de … Continue reading
Posted in Food, Health, Self-discipline
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Baby Steps
I was surprised last night to learn that programming of value is available on the Fox Network. I suppose I’ve allowed myself to identify Fox only with Fox News, which I find abysmally shallow, slanted, and deeply deceptive. But there … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophy, Politics, Religion, Self-discipline
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Reboot
There have been times when I’ve exercised consistent self-discipline and there have been times when I’ve indulged myself in slothful laziness. I always feel better, and feel better about myself, when I have exercised consistent self-discipline. I felt better, physically, … Continue reading
Posted in Self-discipline, Sloth
7 Comments
Failing
Several years ago (2006, if memory serves), in another life, I arranged for a couple of speakers for one of my clients’ annual conferences. This association client needed, in my opinion, a dose of self-critical introspection. Some industry players were … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophy, Self-discipline, Wisdom
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Drive
Desire, want, hope…all emotions that seeks change for a perceived better. “I have a desire to be better looking and have more money.” “I have a deep-seated want to more gregarious.” “His hope is to achieve a medical breakthrough.” None … Continue reading
Posted in Happiness, Philosophy, Self-discipline, Wisdom
3 Comments
You Deserve a Break Today
Everyone deserves a break. I deserve a break from my self-imposed insistence that I write something every day. Well, I must continue to do my “Thoughts for the Day,” but I deserve a break from writing my “regular” posts. So, … Continue reading
Posted in Self-discipline, Writing
4 Comments
What Is This Teaching Me?
So, here I am in the midst of another month of doing without. My plan calls for doing without, for one month at a time, something I enjoy; this month, I’m depriving myself of a category of food I enjoy: meat. … Continue reading
Posted in Doing Without, Food, Philosophy, Self-discipline
4 Comments
Settle Down
At this very moment, one of the things that would please me most would be to have the ability to live free of anger, free of being so reactive to the negativity and disappointments and upsets I face in the … Continue reading
Posted in Change, Happiness, Self-discipline
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Doing Without: A Meat-Free October
September is winding down. If I choose, I can celebrate on October 1 with a stiff drink or a beer, but I’m beginning to think I should stick with September’s commitment to doing without alcohol. At the very least, I should … Continue reading
Posted in Doing Without, Food, Self-discipline
5 Comments
Doing Without Alcohol: Alternative Addictions?
My perception of my year of doing without is changing. My casual experiment is having unexpected results. I’m thinking of things I didn’t allow myself to think before I started this. This is my month for doing without alcohol. Iced … Continue reading
Posted in Doing Without, Self-discipline
6 Comments
Doing Without: First Success
The month of August has passed and so has my first successful month of doing without. I gave up coffee for the entire month with no difficulty. Today, I began September with a treat: a cup of very nice, rich, … Continue reading
Posted in Doing Without, Self-discipline
6 Comments
Coffee-Walk-Sloth-Pain
I’m only on day two of doing without and, as expected, I have had no difficulty doing without coffee. But my coffee replacement, a 30+ minute morning walk, has been more of an adjustment than it should have been, considering … Continue reading
Posted in Doing Without, Self-discipline, Sloth, Walking
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Doing Without: An August Beginning
I’ve been thinking all month about what I would do without in my first month of doing without. July, of course, was not the first month. That will be August. For my first month, I’ll do without coffee, which will … Continue reading
Posted in Doing Without, Self-discipline
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Discipline: Doing Without
I subscribe to, but infrequently read, the periodic musings of a guy named Leo Babauta who writes Zen Habits. For some reason, the emailed post I received on July 1 caught my attention. Entitled, “A Year of Living Without,” it detailed … Continue reading
Posted in Doing Without, Happiness, Philosophy, Self-discipline
1 Comment