Choosing discipline gives
you the freedom to do your best and be your best self.
One
of my favorite musical instruments is the bagpipe. Many years ago on a bright
beautiful sunny day, my family and I heard a gorgeous version of Amazing Grace
played by a bagpiper on shore, as our family was departing Halifax, Nova Scotia
by ship. We continued to hear Amazing
Grace as it carried over 3 miles away from shore.
In
newspapers around the world it was announced on August 22, 2016 that a
61-year-old bagpiper had died from “hypersensitivity
pneumonitis- bagpipe lung”. It was caused by bacteria from “the moist
environment” in his bagpipes which developed into mold and fungi. For the prior seven years
he suffered “shortness of breath, a dry cough”, and could “walk only about 65
feet”.
Disinfecting every part of his bagpipe
everyday would have prevented his death. It’s all about "choosing discipline"!
This is a wake
up call for all musicians, bagpipers, woodwind players, and brass players to
clean their instrument thoroughly daily. “ Cleanliness is next to
godliness”
It’s
all involved with discipline. The discipline of preparation: Two friends of
mine are Firemen. They have their fire equipment at the ready, so within
minutes they are ready for. a fire. They
practice for fires in gear with their air pack to be ready within 90 seconds.
Once you develop discipline it becomes part of you, a positive good habit.
True
disciple gives you the freedom to do your best and be your best self, allowing
yourself to achieve success. For example: cleaning up after your self and
keeping your work place organized.
My
husband and I went to a local restaurant to grab a quick lunch. The waitress,
who we had never seen before, brought our food out and took an extra 5 minutes
to bring out the ketchup after our burgers had been served. By the time she
finally brought the ketchup the burger was cold. Shortly after, we were in a
rush to get back to work. The restaurant was almost empty, and we had to look
for the waitress to get the bill. This
waitress won’t last long! She does not have the discipline for the job!
In
our lives, we need to be disciplined in both our mind and in our body to keep
free of mental clutter and /or physical clutter.
Just like you brush your teeth twice a day to
cut down on bacteria that feed over your body and we bathe everyday. This is
all about our daily discipline.
As
a child of 8, I remember my violin teacher, Mr. William Whitson teaching me to wash
my hands with soap and water before playing my violin. After practicing Mr.
Whitson taught me to wipe my violin with a clean cotton cloth to remove the
rosin from all surfaces of the violin, including the strings, fingerboard, and
bridge. Rosin is pinesap from a tree that in its clean state is rubbed onto the
hair of the violin bow to grip the strings making them speak. Mr. Whitson also
had me wipe the rosin off the wood part of my bow. He wanted to protect the
instrument from harm from the sticky rosin. He taught each of his students the
discipline of taking care of their instruments. It’s all about "choosing discipline".
Many
years ago when I was a student in New York City, I loaned out my violin to a
friend when her instrument was being repaired. When she brought my violin back
after a week, it was covered with sticky rosin all over it! It took me several
hours to clean up my violin. My ex- friend had not been taught the discipline
of taking care of her violin. She should have brought my violin back to me
cleaner then when I had given it to her!
For
over 30 years, I have taught my string students, the discipline of cleaning
their instruments.
Part
of discipline is teaching our kids to wash their hands and dry them after using
the bathroom. Harvard Medical School says, “In
studies, washing hands with soap and water for 30 seconds --bacterial counts
drop by close to 99.9%. They also say, “It
takes about 20 seconds to dry your hands well if you're using paper or cloth
towels. It’s all about training and discipline!
What new discipline will
you start today?
Take the one-day
challenge!
Below
are five suggestions: Try one of them!
1) You
have a large pile of papers on your desk.
Put the papers in order, file the informational documents in the right
folders, and pay the bills according to the due dates on them.
2) Right
after cooking dinner, put the pots and pans in the sink to soak with soap and
warm water. This way you can clean up quickly and easily after you eat.
3) Eat
one scoop of ice cream instead of two.
4) Stop smoking cigarettes for one day.
5) As you run out of certain foods in your
refrigerator, write down each food needed on a pad of paper. Then take your
list to the grocery store.
Remember
discipline is following through on some goal you have and not finding excuses to
not finish the task. Don’t procrastinate. To be disciplined you have to take
the first step. Don’t just talk about it. Do it. Take your first step. Then take
your second step and follow through till you complete what you started.
It’s
all about "Choosing Discipline"!
Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an
Amazon.com Best Selling Author, John Maxwell Team Member, Certified World Class
Speaking Coach, sought after speaker, business owner, teacher, researcher, and
concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their
Businesses". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints
necessary to improve and keep your business successful. She writes a monthly
newsletter "Madeline's Monthly article & Musical Tips Blog" and a
monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio Show". Her
book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available on Amazon or
Kindle. Contact Madeline Frank for your next speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com