Much has been made of outward sharpness; clothes, cars, houses…but those symbols are to impress other humans. Constantly though, I see well-dressed, appearance-oriented people fail to show up on time, fail to fulfill resolutions, fail to go through the sacrament of daily discipline. I place emphasis on consistent, sustainable results—not dress, and not even action. I believe results are attained by communicating with the Universe through quiet demonstrations of exactitude: Being on time, on target, with the right gear. Day after day after day. Daily discipline. Daily precision. If the job doesn’t get done, then there damn well better be a good lesson that comes from it.
The other stuff? That’s just icing on the cake.
Dirty Sci-Fi Buddha 
My son read your comment and said you must have been a soldier… The discipline is important as is the consistency but the outcome not so much. Be dispassionate about the outcome.
You make me giggle – the forces are so particular about how you look.
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The outcome is a tricky thing; I see in the Bhagavad Gita how there is no entitlement to outcome, and yet I believe it is important to “play the game” i.e: Use past outcomes to course correct and refine the approach. Basically I say this because I’ve seen people satisfied with simply flailing away, and while outcomes are never in our control and we should let go of any attachment to them as soon as they happen, I believe that having a point of focus is important—it becomes a rough barometer for how you’re doing; feedback from the Universe if you will. But these are just theories, and I’ve rambled on in this response, perhaps I’m full of it, haha! 🙂
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Impressed that you have read the Bhagvad Gita. It’s not saying you shouldn’t work to the outcome it’s really talking about doing it with the best of yourself. If it doesn’t happen don’t be despondent.
Many of my actions are based on the outcome of other’s actions or my previous ones because I use them as lessons. But by being dispassionate about the result when your endeavour doesn’t work. You can objectively learn from the experience and tweak it. If you learn not to be then by mistake – penicillin can be found or you make the leap after a 100 experiments. The light bulb. You’ve said something similar.
I tell my children to put their best effort in their exams and then not worry about the results because they can’t do anything else at that point. Their recovery from bad results is quick. exams can be redone after learning from their mistakes.
My bachelor aunt due to delayed learning took more years than others to get through university but she did and was commended for her services to government education indelhi.
See I’ve gone on for longer. I will step off my soap box.
Still blown away that you read the Bhagvad Gita.
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Haha, Thank You! Yes I agree, and that the ultimate state is to be lost in joy for the work itself. I’ve just seen too many use that as an excuse to focus on doing what feels good rather than focus on what they’re doing as hard as possible—which ironically, is where the best feeling flows from. Yep, Bhagavad Gita puts into context the idea of supposedly hateful acts being an avenue to higher spirituality: “Stand up, Arjuna.” Not so with the other stacks of rules that are floating around out there. Thing is, I’m not even Hindu, I just go for the principles behind all of ’em.
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Many Hindus haven’t read it. I was an adrenalin junkie at fifteen and only stopped risking my life when I found a pocket version of it. My uncle had many versions. He left me his favourite one in his will. He sparred with me a lot and all his notes and underscores about women ruining men make me laugh. It is a 1000 page long translation and it takes me six months to read. I read a verse and explanation every day. I’m at moksha again.
The penguin version is my second favourite.
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That’s great! Probably the best way to read it, honestly. All similar books are packed with so much info…Yogananda’s, shankara’s, Brahmananda…I’ve read a bunch of ’em but couldn’t tell you specifically what any of ’em say.
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You are funny – I am that I am
I think now I look for the messages in normal people’s conversations. Don’t care for the roles he mostly plays but Jim Carey’s thinking is spot on.
Your stuff is sound.
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Thanks! A product of furious overthinking. 🙂
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😎😃
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[…] via Musings — Dirty Sci-Fi Buddha […]
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Interesting, I’m very disciplined but if I’m not I experience anxiety.
I’ve trouble with severe anxiety for years now and sometimes I wonder if we’re judging anxiety too harshly and trying to be rid of it entirely rather than use it to benefit us. Such as in this case, my discipline motivator
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Well just from personal experience, discipline can be a prison if it is compulsive, but on the other hand discipline is one of the best things to be compulsive about. What I like to do is deliberately go crazy once a week or just be completely unstructured, so that I can keep my perspective and allow fresh ideas to come through.
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Reblogged this on Musket and Magic and commented:
Discipline and drill will always win the day. Talent and flash mean nothing without consistently applied effort.
Now if I could just get around to actually swallowing those words…
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You’ll get around to it! Or life will forcibly make you come around, but either way you’ll get to it, and since I’m an optimist, I don’t just think, no I BELIEVE that you’ll do it of your own accord. Have faith, buddy. 🙂
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I like your musings – they give pause for thought.
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I hope to give respite from thought as well…Thank You! 🙂
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