The Refining Day 6: The Virtue of Self-Discipline

Blogging everyday this Lent has been difficult……and it’s only been a week! 

Some days, after slugging through emails and phone calls and the chaos and noise of my commute home on the train, I am exhausted. My body feels drained, and my creative juices have waned. All I want to do is curl in a ball on my bed and watch an episode of New Amsterdam. 

On days like this, putting words to paper feels like a chore. But that was the entire point of this exercise. To write even when I don’t feel like writing. Because sometimes, the desire to write does not manifest for a long time.  

And I don’t want to always simply do what I feel like doing. In fact, sometimes I really shouldn’t. I don’t want to be controlled by my feelings and impulses alone. 

I want to be in control of my impulses and desires, not let them control me. By sticking to simple commitments or routines in my life despite my mood or energy levels, I am cultivating the virtue of self-discipline. According to the Catholic News Agency, “Self-discipline is the ability to regulate one’s actions on the basis of principle and not on the basis of desire, instinct, social custom or pressure.” 

When you do not feel like praying, pray anyway, even if it’s messy and unorganized. When you don’t feel like moving your body, move anyway. When you don’t feel like cooking yourself a healthy meal, cook anyway. 

Building these healthy daily habits in our lives and sticking to them in small ways prepares us to stay faithful to God in big ways. Lent is the perfect time to pick at least one healthy discipline to stick to. 

Have you chosen a sacrifice and/or a healthy habit to remain faithful to this Lent?