More Discipline or More Compassion?

Finding the balance between self-discipline and self-compassion can be challenging. The question I ask myself when in the moment of deliberation is, “What SERVES me most right now?”

Now, at 5:15 am, it can be very easy to tell myself that being compassionate is what serves… “Go ahead, Andy, hit snooze, stay in bed! After all, the sleep/rest will do you some good.”

And while that might be true, it could be a self-manipulation (aka. lie).

My ego will do just about anything to keep me safe. And at 5:15 am, being safe means staying in bed. Period.

But I also know that staying in bed will definitely NOT serve me (unless I went to bed after 11:00 pm the night before – and maybe not even then).

How do I know that?

Well, if I don’t get up at the time I committed to the night before, when I was of sound mind and judgment, then I won’t have time to give myself the gift of self-presence for the first hour of the day. I will be out of integrity with myself and my word. I won’t have the time (because the responsibilities of the day will be upon me) to be quiet, to do what I need to do each morning to set myself up to be my best. I will miss the only time of the day, perhaps, that I have when I’m protected from the outer world “noise” that keeps me distracted from looking inward.

And that’s when discipline SERVES me.

That’s when I practice.