DISCIPLINE IS A BAD WORD!

"Discipline" conveys such negative imagery!

I need your help! My husband, Ashley and I were recently discussing the word "disciplined" the other day and we found we had very different definitions of the word.

Ashley is a very disciplined and determined person. He is very athletic...has been his whole life. He works out just about every day. He tries to eat healthily. In fact, he rarely eats at fast food restaurants (maybe twice a year) and drinks plenty of water. I, on the other hand am a self-professed couch potato (see my blog "Grampians Champions") who hates to exercise and only does so under duress. I eat my fair share of chocolate and love a good flame-broiled Whopper WITH french fries from time to time. Truth be told, I'd eat it a lot more if I could get away with it not showing up on the scales. And worse than anything...I'm a Coca-Cola addict! So now I ask you...which of us is disciplined?

Before you make up your mind, please hear me out! Granted, Ashley is definitely disciplined. I give you that. But I suggest that I am very disciplined as well. How you ask? How is it possible that a couch potato could be disciplined in the slightest? Well, it all depends on your definition of discipline. Most people think of things that…let’s face it…aren’t exactly fun things to do in life. I mean…who really enjoys running? Seriously! Yeah, I know, there may be a few weirdo people who enjoy it (no offense intended to my running readers), but most people would agree that it’s not on their top ten list of things to do in life. In fact, it’s probably not on their top one hundred things to do! And when reaching for something to drink…would you like a glass of water or a cold, frosty beer or soft drink…perhaps even an adult beverage? I’m not asking what “should” you reach for…but what would you prefer?

The new definition of "discipline"

Ahhhh…now you’re getting closer to my definition of "disciplined". I like to think that I am disciplined in having FUN! In fact, I’m quite good at it! An expert, I might add! Yes, when comparing running to sitting around watching a good movie on TV, I’d choose the movie every time! When choosing to eat an apple or yummy, melt-in-your-mouth piece of chocolate, something tells me the chocolate would win. And when choosing between a glass of water or a tall, ice-cold-moisture-dripping-down-the-glass Coca-Cola…well…you get the idea!  All of my choices prove my dedication to the task at hand…to enjoy every moment of life and choose to be happy!

I’d say my definition of discipline wins out over the blood, sweat and tears of Ashley’s definition every time. So let’s eat, drink and be merry doing nothing, for tomorrow we will diet! No…not really! That would go against my definition of fun! Let’s hear it for discipline …the new, fun and fabulous word in the dictionary! No longer will it conjure up images of drudgery, boredom and “un-fun”! Hip! Hip! Hooray!

So once again, I ask you…who is more disciplined? Before you answer that, let’s see…it’s after noon and I really need to get out of my bathrobe and get dressed for the day. I’ll check your responses after my nap! 

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