THE KINDNESS AND THE FIRMNESS

















”No discipline seems pleasant at the time, But painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace
for those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:11

Kindness and firmness… these are the two sides of the same coin called – ‘discipline’. Today, as parents and teachers, if we emphasize on disciplining our children or students, we should not forget, that our parents and teachers, too, did emphasize on it. Maybe, we wished more of kindness (call it leniency) and less of firmness when we were at the receiving end. But, today, when we look back, we do realize, that excess amount of kindness would have only robbed us of the goodness we possess today.

The firmness comes from the kindness – our care and concern, our love… It makes discipline complete. The value of discipline our parents and teachers had instilled in us could be felt only in due course… What was painful once has shaped our character later… It has made us strong!

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment,” says Jim Rohn. He is talking about self-discipline, which is the ultimate one. If we discipline ourselves, no one else has to do that to us. The early we understand this, better for our progress in life…


Self-confidence in life comes from self-discipline, Sir!


Discipline is a painful pill. Whenever my own parents and teachers gave me this pill, yes, I had detested it. But, looking back, I feel only thankful – and even privileged – for having received it quite frequently from my parents and teachers…


I had to be told, where I was wrong… I had to be told, where I was not honest… I had to be told, where I was cheating… I had to be told, where I was laid back and indifferent… I had to be told, where I was disrespectful… I had to be told, where I had to overcome my inefficiencies... Yes, a tree could be made straight only when it was a sapling…


Else, there would be only regret, later, in a ‘tree’s’ life!

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.:cottonbro

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