Will we sleep in or go exercise ? Will we be strong or weak ? Brave or afraid ? Wise or stupid ? Lazy or active ? Selfish or selfless ? Will we read that self-development book or watch more TV ? Will we cultivate a good or a bad habit ? Will we stay the same or grow ? The easy way or the right way ?
Virtue is something we also must choose . Not once , but many times .
As graduate professionals , we know the sacrifices and discipline required to obtain our professional qualifications . Can we apply that discipline to other areas and phases of our lives ?
There are many temptations to choose the easy path . In these times that we live in , with all the challenges in our country and worldwide , we might think that it is very tough . But if we look at history over a longer timeframe , we realise that we actually live in times of plenty ! Only two centuries ago , life expectancy at birth was only around 30 . In South Africa today it is more than double that , around 65 years . The freedom and ability to do the things that we can do today would have been unthinkable to our ancestors . The luxuries and opportunities we can enjoy , that even our domestic helpers and
“
Only through discipline can we empower ourselves to achieve great goals – as individuals and as businesses .
” gardeners at our homes have , are things that all-powerful kings were once unable to acquire . We are warm in winter , cool in summer and stuffed full far more than hungry . We can go where we want and do what we want . Crave it ? Have it ! We believe it is our human right .
And yet , what do many of us , and sadly so many professionals , show for it ? Unhappiness . Depression is the sickness of our time . If we have it so good , why are so many of us so unhappy ?
One explanation could be that we make the wrong decisions when we come to those crossroads where we must decide . We mistake liberty for licence .
As Eisenhower once famously said , freedom is only the opportunity for self-discipline . We must keep ourselves in check or risk ruin , imbalance , dysfunction or dependency . Whether we want to know it or not , only we , not an employer , not a government , not even a spouse , are responsible for our own destiny .
Of course , wealth is not evenly spread , we come from different backgrounds . And bad things can happen . Life is not fair . Some must work harder and have less room for error . But all of us can benefit from self-discipline and self-control . To empower our futures . In this sense , we are all in the same boat . The fortunate and the less privileged must figure out how to manage their wants and emotions , what to abstain from , what good habits to vest and what bad habits to kick .
So , it boils down to selfdiscipline . The ability and willingness to work hard , say no , set boundaries , practice good habits , train and prepare , ignore temptations and endure painful difficulties at times . It is about temperance . In PPS language , it is about doing the right thing ( one of our three core values ). To demand the best of ourselves , even when no one is looking . It takes courage to live this way . And not only because it is hard . Also because it is different . Remember , it is not the wide , well-trodden path . It is the harder , narrower , lonelier one . The crowd is not there .
95