Have we become so accustomed to having others think for us, that it has become impossible for us to think for ourselves? We tend to align ourselves with groups that think for us, and sometimes we even go along with things we don’t really believe because nonconformity is risky business.  It is easier to conform because nonconformists generally suffer ridicule, ostracization, or even death.  A closed mind is not open to learn anything new, and a closed heart is not open to revelation.  ‘Isms’, religions, political ideologies, and perhaps every belief system is designed to close the mind to any opposing viewpoint.  Isms always lead to schisms.  Nationalism, religious denominationalism, racism, classism, sexism, despotism, totalitarianism, or any other classification that divides us, prevents us from seeing the beauty and creation of God in other people and groups.

In the book of Romans, chapter twelve, verse two of the Bible, those who believe in God are warned to avoid the trap of being conformed to this world’s way of thinking, and encouraged to be transformed by the renewal of their minds, so that they can prove what is good and acceptable to God.  History demonstrates in every culture and religion that being a non-conformist is dangerous.  The most powerful example of nonconformity I can think of, is epitomized in Jesus, the main character of the Bible, but somehow lost in millions of those who claimed to follow him over the last two centuries. 

I believe the greatest freedom comes to those who have the courage to think for themselves, and yet allow their knowledge and understanding to be continually renewed.  Knowledge and belief are always reflected in action.  Growth and progress always begin with some form of nonconformity.  Regardless of the setting or environment, it is not easy to go against the traditions, practices, or beliefs.  It is not enough to just think or speak differently but acting differently is the evidence of transformation.

In the opening segment of the TV series “Mission Impossible,” the voice on the recording says, “your mission, should you decide to accept it, is…”  Given limited tools and a time frame to get the job done, the person and team that takes on the mission must figure out how to get it done.  Once the mission is clear and an assessment of the resources made, a plan must be developed.  From this point forward, everything must be done with the completion of the mission in mind.  Just as in the TV series, every critical mission in life must face obstacles, opposition, and distractions.

A key component in the opening phrase is, “…should you decide to accept it…”  Once the mission has been accepted wholeheartedly, commitment and dedication will generate and inspire plans.  Even if a plan fails, the pledge to the mission will produce the determination needed to re-route or re-draw the plans.  Failure ceases to be an option and quitting is not a way out.  In my imagination, everyone has been sent to earth to do something, great, small, or barely noticeable. 

You can only be successful, or have a successful mission, if you know your mission and its objectives.  What is your mission on earth, during the time you have left on earth?  If you do not already know, engage your imagination for a moment, and sincerely ask yourself the question, “What do I have, know, care about, or know how to do that will help others and make life better on earth?  If you began to inquire, you may hear an inner voice saying, “Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is…    

Everyone needs proof in order to believe.  The question is how much, and what kind? If you are building something you need proof that the materials are present, and that there will be enough to build.  You also need proof that the math necessary for construction has been done properly, as well as the math for financing.  Beliefs, like mathematical or scientific proofs must be built in steps, and each step must be built on the previous step.

In our science, technology, engineering, and math we know that missing steps and using wrong formulas will lead to disaster.  Unfortunately, we do not require the same degree of proof or rigorous adherence to formulas in our emotional, moral, and spiritual lives.  Well you may ask; how can we exercise proofs in the areas of our lives that are intangible?  Well, just as gases under pressure can combust, emotions under pressure will have physical, social, and financial consequences. 

Just as we are disciplined in science and math, we can discipline our emotions through exercises proven to help us modify behaviors.  With a spiritual focus our morals change and the way we treat others will undergo a change as well.  In many instances we act as though the proof is in our talk.  It is one thing to speak the spoken truth but another altogether to become the living proof.  True success reflects the discipline that is required to become the evidence of our beliefs.

Curiosity leads to exploration and exploration leads to discovery.  As we grow older, we sometimes become less curious and tend to explore less.  Yet there are always new things to discover about the world and ourselves.  I once attended a lecture delivered by, former Morehouse College President, Benjamin E. Mays, at the age of 86, who said the key to his youthfulness and sharp mind was that he never stopped learning.  History is replete with people who did great things beyond 50 years old.  Grandma Moses started painting at age 76, Colonel Sanders started KFC at age 65, Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa at age 75, and others have broken athletic records in their age category when they were over 100 years old.

Some sharp minded seniors up to, and over 100 years old attribute their sharpness to their eagerness to learn and try new things. Who knows what new thing we can do or what contribution we can make to humanity, if we revive our curiosity and our wiliness to explore new territory?  Perhaps our curiosity will stave off dementia or feebleness.  Challenge yourself to learn something new.  Challenge yourself to do something you have never done before or go somewhere you have never gone before.  Or simply challenge your self to read something new and different. 

As we discipline ourselves to go new places and do new things, I believe we will discovery a whole new world of possibilities, within and without.  You may just discover a side of yourself that you never knew existed.

I like to laugh and smile, and often I am asked why I smile and laugh so much.  I often respond that I can remember days when I couldn’t smile, and laughter seemed to have left me forever.  The Bible says that a merry heart does good, like a medicine.  I found this to be true in my own life and I enjoy bringing light and laughter to others because I believe that merry hearts together can change an atmosphere and an environment.  I have missed too many opportunities to shift atmospheres because I was emotionally bound, or to use a colloquialism, “I was in my feelings.”   

I know that life is not all smiles and laughter and while some see me smiling a lot, others see me as overly serious.  There is a time when laughter serves as a healer but there are also times when tears and crying also serve their purpose in the greater scheme of our lives.  I do not want to miss any opportunity to laugh or cry when they bring healing.  I do not want to miss any opportunity to help someone else laugh or affirm the need to cry when it will benefit others and the world. 

These are times when we must laugh to bring healing and cry to bring awareness.  Change comes when life has enough balance for us to see the ‘we’ beyond the ‘me’, and when we can get out of our feelings in order to bring healing.  I cannot imagine the climate in Uganda during the massacres that occurred under Idi Amin, or the climate present in Rwanda during the ethnic wars, or the climate in Germany as the Nazis were coming to power, but I believe that somebody did not cry enough and someone did not understand that laughter was for healing and not to put others down, creating an atmosphere that divides the human family. 

Our discipline for success cannot be for our success alone, because alone, we can never be successful.

Today I will listen for the voice of God.  Even before I started my day, I was challenged to clear my head of my own voice and the voices of others from my head.  If prayer is communication with God, then we would do well to remember that communication is always two-way conversion.  Sometimes we do all the talking and fail to listen to what God is saying to us.  If a person talks to you but never listens to what you have to say, the conversation is one-sided, and you will probably lose interest after a while.  When you are talking to someone and they are as interested in what you have to say as you are in what they have to say, you have a mutually beneficial and engaging conversation. 

It is easy to say words to God and then walk away without waiting for a response.  But who has the time to wait for an answer?  Who has the patience to wait for God to speak?  While I have experienced the great peace and joy that comes from being in a conversation with God, I have also experienced the distractions, frustrations, and roadblocks to getting there.  Just as we wait for a torrential rain to stop before going out into bad weather, we must wait for the noise in our atmosphere, internal and external, to quiet so that we can hear and speak to God.  If we are going to reach our greatest level of success, we must discipline ourselves, and structure our time, to have daily conversations with God. 

Change is difficult for us to adjust to and difficult for us to make.  It is easier sometimes to remain in an undesirable situation because of the fear of creating something worse.  If you study history and even the history of your own life, I believe you will discover that change occurred for the better only when we took a leap of faith or when we were pushed over the cliff by circumstances.  If the best things occur when we have the courage to change, if we want things to get better, we must take the risk of making changes. 

Stability requires the discipline of consistency, but it also requires the adaptability to changes.  Not just change that is forced upon us but change that we plan and discipline ourselves to carry out.  This requires a mental and spiritual adjustment because we are conditioned to resist change.  If you imagine an ideal situation, and you are not presently there, either someone else will make it happen, or you will make it happen for yourself.  If you wait for someone else to make it happen you may lose a great deal of time waiting, and it is bound to benefit them more than you. 

Take the risk!  If you succeed your life will be changed forever.  If you fail, your life will be changed forever.  If you stay where you are, your life will still be changed forever.  If we discipline ourselves to make change happen, we will not be disappointed by just watching change occur around us without any benefit for us.  A leap of faith could be a leap that changes your life and the lives of others in drastically positive ways. 

The Bible speaks of a time when God will pour out the Holy Spirit upon the people on earth causing them to dream dreams, see visions, and to help others through what they see.  I write and speak a lot about being disciplined for success and learning to manage ourselves. This focus comes out of a vision I have of a time when people will be self-disciplined and able to manage their own lives, emotions, finances, thoughts, words, etc., while also being governed by the spirit of God.  I do not believe we are able to dream our greatest dreams without God and I do not believe we can do our greatest work without discipline.  In fact, I have learned that even in our greatest achievements, and a in our most rigorous discipline, we need the help of God. 

Tonight, I write to encourage you to consider dreaming your greatest dreams and envisioning your greatest work.  Have you ever awakened from a good dream only to feel the disappointment of discovering that it was only a dream?  I believe that if we awaken the dreams and visions in us that come from God’s Spirit, I believe we live the dream and discover that we are awake.  If you are tired of the nightmares, try dreaming the dream you have been given.  Our dreams may be personal, as well as our faith, but the excitement of living the dream and sharing the joy can never be hidden.

Yes, anyone can enjoy the atmosphere of your dreams if you keep them vibrant and alive.  This is the discipline of keeping our hopes, visions, and dreams alive.  If God gives us a dream, vision, or a heart to encourage others, our ‘discipline of doing,’ and our ‘discipline of communication,’ with people and God, will make it possible for us to live our dreams and see our visions become real.

Each day can be viewed as another page in our lives.  We are only responsible for the portion we write, or fail to write, each day.  Our thoughts, words and actions appear in draft or finalized form each day.  Before they are finalized, we can rewrite, make additions, clarify, and correct our thoughts.  Before finalizing, it is a good idea to proofread, and maybe ask someone else to proofread again with a fresh set of eyes. 

Life is like writing, and if you are writing an important email, you will want to make sure that you have written a good draft, rewritten it, and thoroughly proofread it before hitting the send button.  If we take time to examine our thoughts and actions each day, before hitting the send button, it would probably make a major difference in our lives.  We can save ourselves a lot of trouble if we take time to hit the pause button and think before we act and rewrite our lines before we speak. 

Did you discipline, and check, yourself today before hitting the send button?  Many people are in prison wishing they could rewrite a page in their lives.  Many are in the graveyard because they hit the send button too soon.  I once heard it said that, “it is a good idea to think twice before speaking once, and sometimes it is a good idea to taking it all out in thinking and none of it in speaking.”  Some things cannot not be erased or whited-out.  Tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to write a new page.  By writing a rough draft, we may get a head start for a better page for tomorrow.  As we turn the pages of our lives, let us keep in mind that our discipline will determine our destiny.

When I was a child, I watched a cartoon named “The Jetsons.”  At that time, with its futuristic gadgetry and artificial intelligence, it was entertaining but hard to believe it could ever come true.  Today, most of that cartoon fiction has become reality.  I also enjoyed watching the Star Trek television series, in which an international crew boldly explored space with unbelievable technology and speed.  Today we have an international space station, and at least 13 nations have space programs.  With constant launches from earth and continual human activity in space, we are well on our way to fulfilling the science fiction of yesterday.

Scientists are already developing theories for teleportation, so who knows, soon we may be saying like Captain Kirk on Star Trek, “beam me up.”  If we are not wise, we will the slaves of our technology rather that the masters of ourselves.  I applaud scientific develop but I revere God above science, so that science does not become my God.  If we develop character and integrity at the same pace that we develop our technology, our science and technology will serve us well.  I am excited to live in the age of “The Jetsons” and I believe that space travel and satellite-controlled communications have improved the quality of life on earth. 

For us to continue to progress, I believe we must develop moral and personal discipline. Our failure to address questions of morality and self-control are leading to our demise.  Wouldn’t it be amazing to step into the teleporter and be transported instantly wherever we wanted to go?  We may indeed find ourselves saying “Beam me up” but whether it will be said in joy or despair depends on us.  Are we prepared to become disciplined as human beings for our successful coexistence on this planet?

What you see, and how you see it, will determine where you go and how you get there. If you carefully listen to a person’s conversation, you will know in short order whether they live selfishly and only for themselves. If you want to understand where a person is going, or how they came to be where they are, their destiny is painted in their words. Eye witnesses speak about what they have seen, and an eyewitness account can only come from the mouth of the person who saw the event. A vision, however, can be caught by many, and when it is articulated well, it can become a movement. Just as vision can be positive or negative, movements can be constructive or destructive. If you listen carefully to the conversations on television, in the media, and around us every day, you will quickly discover that our world is being pulled by opposing visions.

What do you see? What kind of picture are your words drawing for your future and the future of those around you? Although I am fully aware of all the negativity, I see people everyday from different backgrounds, cultures, nationalities, races, lifestyles, and points of view working well together and treating each other well. I see people who see the world united beyond, and in celebration of our differences. If you tell me what you see, I can tell you which world you are building. If I listen to what you say, I can determine whether the brick in your hand is going to be used to build a better world or destroy someone else’s.

Maybe you have heard the word “No” so much in your life that you have never fully experienced the power of “Yes.”  As children growing up, many of us heard “No” much more than we heard “Yes.”  If this is the case, as we grew older, we told ourselves “No” more than we told ourselves “Yes.”  “No,” highlights the negative and the consequences of taking the negative path. 

Here in the United States, over thirty years ago, there was an anti-drug campaign which coined the phrase, “Just Say No.”  I have no statistics to say whether the campaign was effective, however, I believe that somewhere along the way we have forgotten that with every prohibitive or “No”, there is an implicit “Yes.”  If we do not have something that we are saying “Yes” to, at the same time we are saying “No” to something else, then we will say “Yes” to things for which we may not be consciously aware.  As it has been said, “if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”

Our future may depend on our “Yes” just as much as it does our “No.”  When we discipline ourselves to say “Yes” to our goals and dreams in a positive, forward moving way, the negative path cannot draw or entice, us because our “Yes” becomes strong enough to keep us focused on the goal.  In order to say “Yes” to something you must turn towards it and move positively in that direction, and I believe the opposite is true also.  Let’s turn in a positive direction, affirm the possibilities before us, and choose to say “Yes” to something today that will prove that our “Yes” is just as powerful as our “No.”  Just say, “Yes.”

How many backs have been strained lifting a heavy load?  How many projects have been abandoned, or poorly finished, because one person tried to do the job of many?  Does pride keep you from asking for, or receiving help from others?  Sometimes we fail to ask for help from others because we don’t want to be rejected, or we don’t want to impose.  A team of homebuilders that has been working together for years can put up a house in a very short time, not only because of their individual skills but because they have learned to work together as a team. 

Perhaps you have heard the cliché, “many hands make work light.”  Or maybe you have heard it said that too many cooks in the kitchen will spoil the meal.  Some things are better done with two hands and others with many hands.  Knowing the difference and operating in both will accelerate success and improve efficiency.  Last week I spoke of an army of one within an army of many.  Today I speak of an army of many doing what an army of one cannot do alone.

If we are going to be disciplined for success, we must play our part well within the army of many who keep this world functioning so well. Yes, the amazing thing is that the world does function well, even thou we sometimes tend to be selfish and individualistic.  Somehow, we work better together than we do alone, particularly when we learn how to work together as a team.

Many students have difficulty with word problems in math.  Having to think in logical ordered steps is often so frustrating that students often give up and declare that they are simply not good in math.  While I experienced, and continue to experience, that frustration, I have learned that life itself is merely a series of word problems.  Some students are able to visualize the steps, others need to talk through the steps, and yet others need to draw pictures and diagrams, but the questions in each case are, what are you trying to find out, and what steps must you take to solve the problem. 

Whether you are sitting in the office of a psychologist, psychiatrist, medical doctor, lawyer, mechanic, or boiling over with anger, you have a word problem.  In each case, a clear picture of what has happened, what is going on, and what steps must be taken to solve the problem, must be established.  Just as words describe the problem, words describe the solution.  A weight and medical problem may be described by saying, “I have eaten too many calories, without burning them off, over the past thirty years, causing undue stress on my heart, body, and mind.”  In resolution to the problem one may say, “I will reduce my caloric intake, eat healthier foods, and increase my exercise consistently over the next five years, which will produce a healthier heart, body, and mind, and just might add years to my life.”

When we struggle and suffer in life, perhaps it is because we have not learned how walk and talk our way through our word problems.  Problems in marriage, relationships, finance, and every area of life can be addressed, and perhaps solved, by understanding what is going on, how we got here, what we want to find out, what we want see happen, and what steps are needed for the solution.  Life problems are “word problems” and we must discipline ourselves to find formulas and order our steps for the solutions.

So often in life we are preoccupied with making a living that we forget to live.  We become so preoccupied with our problems that we cannot see simple solutions.  I like to remind myself that people are more important than money, problems, differences, etc.  Too often the things that keep us apart and divided are things that really don’t matter at all when we are standing before the casket of a loved one.  At that point we often wish that we had taken more moments to enjoy the person and the relationship.  Parents are often too busy working and providing for their children that they deprive them of the love, attention, and human connections that prove to be more valuable in the long run.

Maybe it is time for us to reevaluate our priorities.  If money, career, positions, or possessions rank above the people in your life, it is time to re-prioritize.  Perhaps we can all look back on relationships that we lost due to death, divorce, relocation, etc., and discover that we missed out on the value of the other person or persons because of poorly placed values or priorities. 

The beautiful thing about being alive today is that we have an opportunity to relate to the people in our lives from a new perspective.  Today we can decide to give greater value to people rather than things.  As we value ourselves enough to treat ourselves better and more wisely, I believe we will discover that we can only do so when we value others as well.  So, today our call to discipline is in the area of attending to, and valuing, our relationships in new ways.  Wise poor people, who value their relationships and live within their means, may be happier and more fulfilled that the wealthiest who are relationship poor.  While both wealth and healthy relationships are preferable, how miserable we would be if we had financial riches and security, or poverty, and no one with whom to enjoy life. 

I have heard it said that a closed fist will not give, but neither can it receive.  Perhaps one of the major problems in our nation, and many nations around the world, is that we have developed a sense of entitlement.  We know how to receive, and somehow believe that we deserve to receive much more than we give.  Some live by the principle that says, take all you can and give nothing back.  I believe that if we earn what we can and eliminate debt, invest for the future, and always give back, we may not become wealthy, but we’ll have no lack.

If we develop a discipline of receiving and giving wisely, and inspire others to do the same, our homes, relationships, communities, jobs, places of worship, and even our nations will be transformed.  A taking-and-receiving mentality operates out the belief that there is not enough to go around.  A giving-and-receiving mentality operates out of the belief that there is more than enough for all of us in the world.  The first mentality is based on fear and self-protection.  The second is based on the knowledge that, when everyone has enough there is no need for fear or selfishness.    

Let’s give and give back!  We received encouragement at some point in our lives, so take time each day to encourage others.  You may have knowledge that may help someone else gain wealth, share it, even if you receive no personal benefit from their wealth.  You may be able to bring laughter or joy to someone who is going through a rough time.  Don’t hold back!  Give!  Give back! But never give up hope that our world can become better, if we become disciplined for the betterment of ourselves and others.

Last week we had mass shootings, here in the United States, in which many lives were lost.  In countless communities around the world lives are lost every day through violence.  Where there is hatred and vitriol spewed towards others based on race, nationality, ethnicity, social class, gender, sexual preference, religion, or any other grouping, human life can be devalued on both sides of the division.   We have seen how rhetoric and propaganda based on these kinds of divisions have led to war. The stronger the devaluation of human life, the greater the likelihood that war, slavery, homicide, mass murders, genocide, and every other way of taking or destroying human life will be employed. 

It is easy to hurt someone who hurts you or someone you love.  It is easy to hate someone who hates you and wants to harm you.  Once you dehumanize someone, you can justify doing anything to harm them.  If we are going to succeed individually, nationally, or in any of our separate groupings, we must find a way to diffuse the fires of hate, even in the subtle ways that we fuel the flames.  I always say, “when you fight fire with fire, everyone gets burned.”  Consequently, the world is in danger of being set on fire.

Life is short enough as it is, so let’s not waste it, or shorten it, with hatred, anger, or bitterness.  Untimely deaths leave mothers, fathers, children, friends, neighbors, spouses, and communities heartbroken. The next time you think of any group with dislike or hatred, remember that life is precious, theirs and ours.  The next time someone exhibits hatred towards you or a group you are in, remember them as human beings with families.  The next time you have an opportunity to interact with another human being, savor the time as precious time.

It is easy to fall into slump when life hits you with one thing after another.  Therefore, we need daily reminders of our potential and why we are here.  Sometimes we give less than our best because we feel as though life has given us thorns instead of roses.  Perhaps we so often live beneath our privilege because we cannot see the value of the thorns or because we don’t have the patience to wait for the roses.  Well, if you only settle for the thorns and the humdrum patterns of mediocrity, you may never see the roses that were intended for you.  It has been said that patience is a virtue, but diligence is also. 

There may be times in your life when you can only put one foot in front of the other because you are weary or tired.  If that is the case, don’t settle down where you are, but keep pressing forward, however slowly.  If you can sense the greatness in you, push and press forward, even if it seems as though you will never bring it out.  Settling for less than our best efforts, our best dreams, our best achievements, is living a life short of our best.  We were made to soar!  The discipline of steady forward progress, with a spirit of excellence in everything we do will finding us soaring when we least expect it.  Spread your wings today and take flight, even if you must start with skips and hops.

Perhaps you have heard it said that everyone has a price.  Some people will lie, cheat, and steal for money.  Some will only take what is not theirs if they think they can escape being seen or caught.  Others will justify unscrupulous behavior by saying, “it didn’t hurt anyone,” or offer any number of common excuses for the lack of integrity.  I believe all of us would like to be wealthy, have more than enough to meet our needs, or at the very least be completely out of debt.  What would you be willing to do for money?  If offered a large sum of money to do something unethical but not illegal, would you take it?  If you thought to yourself, “well it depends on how much money is being offered,” then you have a price for which you would sell your integrity.  True integrity is never compromised and never goes on sale. 

Money is not the only currency which can threaten our integrity, but fear, popularity, fame, praise, pleasure, pain, poverty, and more, can cause us to say yes to things which go against our conscience.  The test of integrity is whether you can resist anything which attempts to purchase or compromise our honesty and integrity.  If you have already sold your integrity, it is time to buy it back. 

To be truly disciplined for success, is to have a “Not For Sale” sign on your integrity.  Just know, however, if cannot be bought, the price you pay to maintain your integrity could be very high.  Your character and integrity are not valued in terms of a price you would take for them, but in what you are willing to endure, if you refuse to sell them.