Thread by @segalink

Can you be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people? 🤔 #Discipline

I’m certain we have read that “the person who masters him/herself through self control and discipline is truly undefeatable.” But What then is discipline in simple terms without expending grammar at this time of the night? 🤔

To simply deconstruct from the litany of definitions, it is simply described as ‘self imposed standards for the sake of a higher/greater goal.’ This is why ALL leaders are meant to have self discipline essentially as against other kinds of (external) discipline.

Not only that discipline is a secret of the success of great men, our universe also stands on the same foundation. The solar system works, the stars are revolving around the sun systematically & there is no flaw in this function for millenniums based on Order (Discipline).

Suffice to say that the key to achieving vision is self discipline. “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” - Pro 29:18 In some other translations it says where there’s no revelation of the future people throw away self discipline.

If you dig further you will also read that where there is no vision people throw off restraint. No one understands this better than Nigerians under a visionless administration. We have seen how rulers cast off restraints and lie to the people with impunity. But I digress.

There’re many ways to further prove that Vision imposes discipline on every being. It’s proven to be a source of self discipline. Deep within the atomic structure of an acorn lies a potential Oak tree. It can’t be confused as to what tree to become unlike man with life’s choices.

Order is found in everything around us from the largest bodies of the universe to the minutest thing called ‘atom’. Everything in this world is made up of tiny atoms. A wonderful discipline is in action and it is seen in each and every thing. There are tiny atoms in every system.

Every atom has its own center, which is called ‘proton’. Many ‘electrons’ move round the center like stars and moons. In the words of a great Muslim scholar: “If you tear up the heart of every atom you will find its sun in its center.”

When you tell people for instance your faculty at the University, the next question is often times “What’s your discipline?” Because you can not do it all neither were you created to solve all problems. It is believed that your focus must be on what makes your heart Sing.

The universe is the best guide for all of us. We should learn about life and the causes and reasons of its stability and success from it. This universe tells us that: “The secret of my survival is the regularity (consistency) and orderliness which my Creator has ingrained in me.”

If the educational system of any country becomes chaotic, if the trade & economy of any nation is disturbed, if the balance of supply and demand is upset, if the law and order of any country turns corrupt, if the army gets out of control the end of that nation becomes certain.

There was an account given in a tale of the commander of the faithful (Ali) in Arabic school. He was fatally injured by the sword of Ibne Muljim, his first bequest as uttered to his sons after admonishing they to refrain from disobedience to the Almighty God was on Disicpline.

He bid them to be consistent in self discipline, with regards to Law and order and be obedient to God in every life affair. He insisted on this as impunity, disorder & indiscipline determine propriety & destroys our talent & competence. (See Nigerian rulers).

Discipline once again Distinguished is the root of leadership. It’s the very nature that attracts people to U. This is because human beings (social animals) are wired to admire disciplined people. We love our athletes & fight over clubs passionately because we admire their gift.

What the people we have admire have done is simply to acquire skills to perfect their prolific gifts. This is why most greats have coaches. They have disciplined themselves to create a routine that makes them the very best in their field via discipline & time management.

The same Rule applies to your favorite handles on Twitter. People who have devoted their time enough to discipline themselves in their area of expertise enough to share from their overflow, timeless materials that better society, while others abuse the space.

This is why Discipline creates TRUST. It explains why they become brands and get firms to deem them qualified to market products. The trust and goodwill built overtime genuinely influences everything they endorse. It is all about the discipline.

The reason why most (intelligent) people voted GMB in 2015 wasn’t just because of the lies but the belief that a disciplined general will put security in check & shutdown corruption. Blame this on the vestiges of the military interregnum that misconstrues life under a democracy.

Discipline sells, not just the fame but the influence and impact on people and society at large. It governs the soaring sales of Nike shoes that make people believe they can fly like Jordan and bend it like Beckham. It is all about the idea in the discipline of individuals.

People come online to read tweets despite the fact that most can’t read two pages of a book without dozing off but they stay awake to read long threads not because of the English, or the fact that they like the Tweeps involved as such...

...but mostly because they admire the discipline in the linguistic and comprehension territory. Same way they troop to a Davido or Wizkid concert. The difference in my case is that there is no offering and tithes involved...yet.

Discipline is powerful and according to the Bible it comes from vision.

Without a clear vision for your life, you live a loose life while one with vision lives very narrowly. A right life. A simplified life.

When you capture a vision, everything gets simplified.

When you know where you are going you certainly will manage the choices you make to get there. Those little decisions matter a great deal. They are paths to your destination. Vision controls your dos and don’ts. It defines your tactics and daily activities. It’s like your DNA.

So every decision you make determines your destiny however small. If you are going to Abuja from Lagos, it would be foolish to buy a flight ticket to Port Harcourt however cheap because that is not your destination, so it is easy to say No.

But without a Vision, a cheap/free ticket to PHC to watch a show on your way to Abuja is a no brainer. You make decisions on the whim. It is tough to refuse temptation. A governor/President without a Vision will sabotage development for bribes and nepotism. They could care less.

Now we can see how our lives get complicated unnecessarily. Always remember that you are not born to do everything. We all have a specific purpose. No drug cures all ailment. Study the lives of Moses, Joseph, David, Paul, Jesus etc simple folks. None were man made billionaires!

They all can summarize what their life purpose is. Paul would say “This one thing I do” Visionary folks live healthier and longer (see Gamaliel Onasode & Dr Christopher Kolade). There is no stress.
Stress comes from not knowing what to do. No vision. Lifelessness.

Stop following people blindly. Time is not refundable, use it with intention. Take advantage of every opportunity after keen observation and meditation in the life of that opportunity. You are not getting any younger, just look at how 3years blew past us. It’s never too late.

It is pitiable that man, instead of gaining from the present opportunities, remain sorrowful for his past, thus wasting the time available to him & become careless about bringing order in the forthcoming time. The value of time becomes more than gold if everything is done in time

"One of the reasons people don't bother to stop and think is that symbolism lets them feel good about themselves. They can go through life leaving havoc in their wake, while enjoying a warm glow of self-approval.” - Thomas Sowell

Just as it is essential for an individual to carve his own path and polish his personality so it is necessary for a successful society to proceed on new highways and never beat the old paths blindly. Otherwise a society cannot prosper.

We must not take the ignorant route believing that copying western culture or coveting other people’s intellectual property will suddenly transfer their success to us as individuals or as a nation. Nudity & lack of morals wasn’t responsible for America’s progress.

The foundation of their progress is knowledge and research. The base of their civilization is that they are not subservient to any super power. They are standing on their own feet as independent nations and are constantly occupied in scientific research. What is your discipline?

The indoctrination you call education interjected by consistent industrial strike actions is only increasing ignorance without helping our youth the truth to know. Reciting pre-emasculated jargons that only make you progress within the assembly line literacy program is hopeless!

Institutions are failing, criminal justice system is broken, education is a farce, healthcare is forlorn, housing is a myth, infrastructure and amenities are luxuries, Economy has failed, security is non-existent and we claim to have a government. We are perishing. No Vision!

It is said that a leader of an area called ‘Fiji’ was once traveling through a mountainous terrain. A group of men was also following him. By chance the leader fell down. Seeing this all the followers also threw themselves on the ground.

Only one man remained standing. He criticized all others for this unwise imitation. You will be surprised to know that all the people criticized that person asking him whether he knew better than the leader?

In Nigeria this is what we call loyalty to body language.

Both the Bible and the Quran criticize “Blind Following” which often lead to idolatry. But look at us today as a society and ask yourself again if this is what you want to repeat in 2019. Are you ready to Discipline yourself and find purpose? 🤔

When they call you crazy or a fraud, remember that great ideas don’t come from average minds. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. The experience is worth a million dollars. Keep at it. No successful people out there got there by mere flight. It takes time to build on a Rock.

Notice that each time you get carried away & join the chanting crowd something is stolen from you. You will get this if you live in any crowded city. There are no free shows in life. It will always cost you something. At the least your precious time. And time is Gold.

As I round up, let me leave you pondering over this story I was once told by a dear one about the Dervishes (Member of a Muslim (specifically Sufi) religious order who has taken vows of poverty and austerity) who lived in a Khanqah (Convent).

They were all penniless. Per chance another dervish came there in the course of his journey back home. He entrusted his donkey to the watchman of the monastery and entered therein intending to pass the night with the resident saints.

The hungry saints were pleased to see the newcomer. They held a meeting & hatched a plot: “As the dervishes of this Khanqah are half-dead due to hunger & as Islam allows eating of a dead corpse too in such hard times, it’d be permissible to sell the donkey of this new dervish.”

All agreed to this & they sold out the ass of that newcomer without his knowledge. Then they filled their bellies with food purchased from the price of that donkey. After the feast they also arranged a singing and dancing party.

The traveler too joined the group. The singer opened his song with the words: “The ass is gone.’ The drummer beat his drum and cried ‘the ass is gone, the ass is gone’.

Everyone in the party sang these words with such zeal and enthusiasm that following them, the newcomer traveler too started clapping and singing, ‘the ass is gone, the ass is gone’. This repetition of ‘the ass is gone’ continued till dawn.

The owner of the ass also sang these words happily with others. The dervishes vacated the Khanqah next morning and all went away to their homes. The ass-owner came out and asked for his ass from the gatekeeper.

He said, “The hungry dervishes had prepared their food last night by selling out your ass and you too had participated in the feast.”

Then he added, “I was helpless. The Sufis had overpowered me & I was almost dead. U’re yourself among them & now U’re asking their whereabouts?”
The poor dervish retorted, “Why did U not inform me about this mischief? Now to whom should I complain? Which court shall I approach?”

The watchman responded, “By God! I wanted to inform you but when I entered the Khanqah and saw that you too were taking part in the party and singing ‘the ass is gone, the ass is gone’ more enthusiastically than others, I thought that surely you were aware of the event, ...

otherwise it was not becoming for dervish like you to sing anything without purpose.”

The poor dervish replied, “Seeing that all were singing the song, I also liked it & I too began to sing.

Now this is the evil consequence of that blind following. A hundred condemnations on such following. What is the use of blind following people who sold their character for food?

...End of Celestial Admonition...

Now substitute the Ass for your future (our common ground- the legacy we ought to bequeath to our children and coming generation) in the story. And ask yourself why you allow yourself to be coerced/fooled. Are you Disciplined?! 🤔

"The last person to trust with power is someone who is dying to have it. The best person to wield power is someone who is reluctant to do so, but who will do it for a while as a civic duty. That is why term limits should make it impossible to have a whole career in politics."

*reciting pre-masticated jargons (#EndAutoCorrect)