Here is a word that I have heard since I was a child.. "discipline". I have hated this concept from day one. Why did I have to do things the way I was told? Why couldn't I do it my way? Why couldn't I eat as much chocolate as I wanted? Why couldn't I play outside more? Why study so much? why do I need to dance Bharathanatyam? Why can't I sit and watch Rajini and Kamal movies all day? Oh and why oh why did I need to go to school and that too by a certain time!!???
As you can tell... I had a major problem with adhering to rules, a natural rebel who got whacked into shape by my parents and teachers. If it wasn't for fear, honestly I don't know where I'd be today lol..
So today.. I sit back and I reflect... did I need all that discipline? Did it really do me any good..? I have to be honest.. a part of me certainly felt suppressed. A part of me yearned to explore life my way... but funny enough after all these years of exploration, I find myself turning around and embracing discipline.
I try my best to get into routine, I try my best to educate myself, to exercise, to eat properly to be punctual, to practice my art, to try and achieve as much as possible within a certain period of time.
I have to say Indian Classical dance has played a major role in instilling discipline in me. There was once a point when without fail I would dance every single day for at least an hour. That practice drilled into me that.. when something must be done, then that something must be done, without fail. It taught me that, in order to achieve something, I may need to endure pain... it taught me that being content did not mean reaching heights of physical pleasure but attaining peace of mind. We all know that feeling of contentment when we finish our "to do" list and that feeling of becoming an idle potato when we over indulge in "pleasurable things". Well I don't know about you but for me, this is something that my dance training has inbuilt in me.
This idea of "get up and be useful", "get up and be nimble". Has this thought, or this discipline helped me in anyway or added any value to my life? Personally, I will have to say yes. Had I not been disciplined as a child, I feel I would've just been a wild energy which just went wherever my emotions took me. I would've over indulged in everything and gone completely off balance and possibly not achieved anything in life. But the discipline, especially the discipline that classical dance gave me made me rein in my thoughts, my actions and my energy, it gave me structure and focus and most of all it gave me consistency. Simply because I was able to keep going and going and going and sometimes standing still when things didn't feel good. I was able to continue on my path which allowed me to achieve my end goal because I was trained to withstand hardship and pain ( physical yes during that araimandi lol ) but this trained my mind to face pain in life as well and remain consistent in my path.
So if you ask me... is discipline necessary? my answer is.. yes... very very very necessary. It teaches one how to control oneself till they reach a desired result, instead of just running in ways that feel like easy fun routes with no substance.
But hey!! these are just my thoughts and my way of living, each to their own I say!
