"Discipline" by Alexis G

 

 

One of the greatest boxing fighters of all time, Mike Tyson, in an interview discussed one of the most inspiring stories from his trainer Cus D'amato when he said, “You have to stay disciplined. It is about doing something you hate like you love it.” I didn’t know what this really meant at the time, until I heard my father talking about what it's like to be disciplined and the sacrifices he makes as a fireman. Going to work when it is stressful, and hating some of the things he knows he will have to put up with, but he does it like he loves it. He does this because he knows what's on the line. That being the house he lives in, the food on the table, and most importantly his family. Then I heard it from other inspirational role models, like Kobe Bryant, who would train all day every day for years while being on only 4 hours of sleep a day, showing that dedication. Hating going through the training, the long nights, but knowing it will all eventually pay off. And that is where discipline plays a large role in the large and little things in life.

 

Within the last year or so, I have begun to realize what it is like trying to strive for greatness, striving to accomplish only so little just to be able to continue doing the sport that I love. With that comes a lot of adversity, struggles, demoralizing moments, and also learning about who you are as a person as well. It also sets in discipline which is a term I have stuck by all year long. Being able to stick by the word discipline allows you to force your mind to fight through just simply waking up to get ready for school. Everyone has been there, where they feel lazy to get up and continue to stay in bed. But certain scenarios, such as staying in bed when needing to get up and start the day, can cause bad habits and more slacking off then getting to work.