Beyond Instant Gratification – Contentment and Discipline
In a world of instant gratification, the alternatives are contentment and discipline. Just beyond instant gratification is choosing to say no. The freedom to say no provides life balance.
Since we have goals to accomplish, focus on contentment may seem odd, but rest is important too. We can’t be “on” 24/7, but after we charge forward and get stuff done, where is the contentment in life? The happiness?
Let’s look beyond instant gratification and find some of life’s balance.
Contentment
I don’t know about you, but I’m not very good at relaxing. I’m not sure I ever learned how to do it. Is there a method for relaxation I need to learn? Since we live in a culture that cannot turn off and boredom is anathema, knowing to call it quits for the day is important.
It is clear that humans are wired to improve, and accomplishing your life’s purpose requires hard work. But when the work is done for the day, you can either be content or you can take on whatever instant gratification tempts you.
Work for tomorrow, live for today. Today, you must live in the present, as nothing else exists. To be present means contentment with the present. Radically accepting the way life is prevents unnecessary suffering (by thinking you’d like life to be different than it is).
Learning how to relax may take me some time. But as we live now, we cannot always run around like chickens that lost their heads. We need rest. Rest can be instant gratification, or it can be contentment. Your mind will give you plenty of opportunities to choose.
Distractions
Your mind is always offing up thoughts and suggestions, though most of them are stale and overthought. Following your monkey mind means instant gratification; that cup of coffee, candy bar, beer, glass of wine, or whatnot. Instant gratification inhibits flow (as in work or recreation) and contentment.
If you are distracting yourself, you are neither living in relaxed enjoyment nor are you in flow passionately pursuing your dreams.
You don’t have to be perfect, but beyond instant gratification is happiness.
The Opposite of Instant Gratification
Beyond instant gratification is happiness. And the opposite of instant gratification is discipline. Discipline is not scary. Self-discipline is necessary for happiness.
If you think I should have instant gratification now, you buy into the notion that you’ll be happy every minute because you always get what you want. Try again.
A life without discipline leads to ruin! Instead, let’s try for happiness.
What is Discipline?
Discipline is doing what you say you will. Consistency accomplishing your daily goals based upon your intentions. It is a prerequisite for character, integrity, and happiness. Self-control is discipline, and self-discipline is control.
Discipline is self-control accompanied by self-awareness. As we become more self-aware, we react less, and our ability to control our response increases. This is freedom.
The moment between event and response is freedom. Discipline provides insight into yourself to lengthen your fuse. What would it be like never to need to express anger again?
Folks think that temperament is nature and nurture and fixed. Your temperament just is, and you cannot change it. Wrong, you can change it through choice and consciousness. People don’t have bad tempers; rather, they have poorly trained tempers.
Self-control is discipline. It is the gift we give ourselves. You get it only after practicing it.
Instant Gratification or Contentment
Since a prerequisite for character, integrity, and happiness is self-control, discipline is the necessary ingredient for the good life.
Every important area of your life fails without self-discipline.
Dampen down instinct and let control reign.
But don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with some instant gratification. Spontaneity and serendipity require it.
So, how much discipline is enough? Well, how happy do you want to be? How long do you want to live? Do you want to be healthy? Choose self-mastery or enslavement of the self.
Beyond Instant Gratification: Food and Finance
Like money, the body is a horrible master but an excellent servant. Both weight and wealth are excellent markers of discipline. We all know what it takes to eat healthy and exercise (as opposed to instant gratification), and we all know what it means to become wealthy (at least initially, pay yourself first and invest).
These are just two examples where beyond instant gratification is the good life. If you have your health and wealth figured out, you can move on to other important aspects of yourself. Family. Relationships. Mindfulness. Spirituality. You do you.
But you won’t do any of it without discipline. Discipline is what allows you to be well-rounded and get the rest you need. Discipline is happiness said differently. You can relax in contentment with self-discipline.
Conclusion – Beyond Instant Gratification
Instant gratification is like a get-fit-quick scheme. At its core, it sells the false message that you can be happy without discipline
To know how happy you are, you must know how disciplined you are.
Happiness < = > Discipline
Appetites and impulses can all be modified by thinking correctly. And practice. Lots of practice.
Maybe start today by planning a fast tomorrow. Intermittent fasting is a great way to gain control of your “no” muscle. Fasting is enlightenment. Learn how to control your desires and be able to say no to yourself. Indulgences and self-denial are both acts that foster discipline, which births happiness.
Mastering self-control is self-love, and only with self-love can we be loved by others.
