Time to take responsibility

QUESTION: Masters, I find self-discipline a difficult thing to achieve. I practice to be in a more spiritual realm where I will not judge others and judgment will pass through me. I try to care for my physical, mental and spiritual bodies but just as I feel I am living truth with a sense of love and light, I self sabotage and the old habits and cravings and laziness creeps back. Although I lose a feeling of being inspired, guided and light when this occurs, I do feel comfortable. It’s as if deep down I don’t want this growth. Am I just lazy and don’t want it enough or could there be negative influences around me or emotional blockages that need to be released or is it not time yet for clarity – still processing and learning? ~Donna, Australia

ANSWER: As you may have concluded, self-discipline is one of your major life lessons this time around. You may more easily find your discipline by increasing the amount of your self-love. People cannot sabotage themselves when they love everything they do and have a firm idea of the overall intention for their life.

Your old habits are the belief systems you permit to control your daily life. Since you have freedom of choice, you, and you alone, determine which rules and regulations you choose to use to direct your life. It is comfortable to sit back and slide by with the rules others gave to you, so that you can blame them for not accomplishing that which you desire.

Discipline is assuming responsibility for your every action. Laziness is not caring about yourself and your direction in life. Concentrating on judgment is fine if you have already done your work on self-love. Falling backward may be considered as laziness but it is more the lack of self-confidence. You have a fear of the unknown, and the old that didn’t work is still more appealing than a future of unwritten outcomes.

The negativity that is blocking you is of your own making. Emotionally it is easier to stay still than to move forward. Start by examining how you feel about the way you are handling your life. Ask why anything you do not like is there. Ask where it comes from. These are your hesitancies, your blockages. These are the lessons. Learn that they don’t have to take center stage; push them into the background by thanking them for calling attention to things you had to work on, and get moving.

Work on loving yourself—not just for all the successes in your life, but for the failures or lessons, as well. Everything you do helps you grow in understanding and wisdom. Love that you allow this to happen. Work slowly and get comfortable with all the feelings life brings to you.