Door: INHALE DISCIPLINE, EXHALE WEAKNESS

"Do not only read your story, rewrite it." This is a sentence that I wrote long ago. Its origin comes from my own life, when I realized that if I wanted to be the champion of my own race, then I had to decide to build my own track, follow it and win it. No one else would do it for me! Most importantly, I discovered that the person who prevented me from competing and emerging victorious was I. So is! I myself, self-sabotaged using outdated or erroneous concepts that limited my ability to run. For example, I longed to be disciplined, but I classified such action in the "impossible" category, by doing this, my mind would associate pain with the idea of effort and continuous work which self-discipline involves. So, I started to look for excuses that support my belief of "I can't." So, I came to the following conclusion: "To rewrite my history, the first thing to do is unlearn my limiting beliefs."

From there, I made the decision to change the label to self-discipline, I started to call it “a challenge", something that generated a huge motivation in my brain in order to stop mediocrity. Doing something as simple as this, allowed my mind to remove excuses more easily, since my brain associated much pleasure to overcome itself. As well, driven by an intense desire for personal improvement; I literally, took paper and pencil and made a list of the areas in which I wanted to progress. Then I developed a flexible plan with the ability to be redesigned as I reach my goals. In addition, I had considered that, if I could not give high quantum leaps, the most important thing would be to move forward with small, but consecutive, steps. The result? In the past, I had excuses that allowed me to stay in my comfort zone, but in my now, I had excuses that entitled me to empower myself in transforming my dreams into realities. At the same time, I unlearnt the incorrect belief that passion is the opposite of the discipline, on the contrary, I recognized that both dance to the beat of the same melody called excellence.

Once you restructure your thoughts, you begin to break your own limits. You realize that if you cannot fly, you can run; If you cannot fly, you can run; If you cannot run, you can walk; If you can't walk, you can drag yourself; If you cannot drag yourself it is because you definitely have wings to fly. The important thing is to direct your mind to the North with determination and consistency. Remember that each one of us is different, it means, each way will be too. Then, don't ever waste your focus and time watching someone else's path. Put your mind in your path, and if you do not like the stone pavement or the muddy of its surface, cheer up, because it is time to pave your path!

To do so, it is necessary to reframe the concepts. Unlearn the negative vocabulary, replace it with one capable of unleashing your true potential. Ask yourself: What words am I using that prevent my growth? You control your life, but until you do not know "what is what pulls you backwards," you cannot identify your North. Teach your mind that if you want to see a garden, you must plant the flowers; that, if you want to see progress you should act. Finally, discipline is like a pearl, at the beginning it is a strange concept to be assimilated, but if you make it part of you, this would become your most precious treasure to produce tangible and incremental results. Cheer up! Being disciplined will give will to your heart and strength to your mind. In a nutshell, every time you breathe, inhale discipline and exhale what is not part of you now, namely, weakness.  

Ángela López, Author.

Spanish Translation