The Extent to Which Self-discipline Ought to be Kept

 In this section, I was inspired to write a bit about establishing the extent to which self-discipline ought to be maintained. Now, what I (and I assume the majority of people) think of upon hearing the term "self-discipline" is a dull, reward-denying, and rather painful existence, but nonetheless one that serves as a model or ideal for myself.

When thinking of the epitome of a self-discipline practitioner, I imagine someone who has trained their mind, and perhaps also their body to sustain high-levels of difficult situations, such as keeping one's hand in ice water, maintaining a plank/squat position, or having the ability to voluntarily lower one's heart rate to an apparently superhuman level, all while projecting the appearance of constant inner focus.

A part of me--and I am not sure for good cause or not--resists this idea of the utter elimination of pleasure/indulgence of my life, as if to suggest that it is unlikely that such a state can be maintained, and if maintained, is hardly viable for very long. The uncertainty that arises in my mind concerns the matter of whether such feelings are merely lurking temptation and uninhibited vice, or whether there is truth to such statements (and if so, how true are they). I also doubt the existence of types of goals that demand long periods of repression of temptation; perhaps it is merely that I do not understand what they find rewarding in achieving such goals.

At the same time, I have been impressed and amazed by what results from such long period's of intense dedication and self-discipline. For example, I admire those who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of one exercise or activity, and have achieved remarkable results, be they piano players, runners, or those who meditate. Largely, I find inspiration in those who understand the beauty of the dreams they chase after, and push themselves through the ordeal in the unlikely, but dedicated chase after that beatiful goal.

As an example, the character of Elon Musk seems to me to be the epitome of productivity. I know not who Elon Musk is in real life, but certainly know a bit about the persona he exudes to the public--a creative, knowledgable, and insanely productive individual, who managed to make a fortune, go bankrupt through the pursuit of even bigger fortunes, remake his fortune in the span of 10 years, becoming the richest person on this planet. Without knowing the degree to which luck and mere chance played a role in the couse of his events, his story represents an ideal of productivity to me--one to which I might well spend my entire life striving after. The beauty of achieving such a goal, to me, lies in the fact that its achievement almost certainly necessitates the subdual of temptation, and the unwavering long-term drive to not only pick up, but also to maintain a passion for so grand, yet intimidating and unlikely a vision.

I feel that doubt is a major factor that at times repels me from self-discipline and making the right decision--I sometimes fail to see maintain before me the enduring grand vision for which my short-term pleasure (to a large extent) I must sacrifice in order to reach. As the writings of the Bhagavad Gita indicate, perhaps a more successful approach to this work would be to maintain indifference to the outcome and robotically, and almost indifferently put effort towards such meaningful goals, remembering the ultimate value of the grand vision they yield, a paradise whose riches are pristine, yet whose path is so wearing that most men fail to cross it. Perhaps ambition is truly what underlies the beginning of greatness.