In process of self-discipline there are three stages namely;

1.Control

2.Purification

3.Relinquishment

A man begins to discipline himself by controlling those passions which have hitherto controlled him; he resists temptation and guards himself against all those tendencies to selfish gratifications which are so easy and natural, and which have formerly dominated him. He brings his appetite into subjection, and begins to eat as a reasonable and responsible being, practising moderation and thoughtfulness in selection of his food, with object of making his body a pure instrument through which he may live and act as becomes a man, and no longer degarding that body by pandering to gustatory pleasure. He puts a check upon his tongue, his temper, and, in fact, his every animal desire and tendency, and this he does by referring all his acts to a fixed centre within himself. It is a process of living from within outward, instead of, as formerly, from without inward. He conceives of an ideal, and, enshrining that ideal in sacred recesses of his heart, he regulates his conduct in accordance with its exaction and demands.

There is a philosophical hypothesis that at heart of every atom and every aggregation of atoms in universe there is a motionless center which is sustaining source of all universal activities. Be this as it may, there is certainly in heart of every man and woman a selfless centre without which outer man could not be, and ignoring of which leads to suffering and confusion. This selfless center which takes form, in mind, of an ideal of unselfishness and spotless purity, attainment of which is desirable, is man's eternal refuge from storms of passion and all conflicting elements of his lower nature. It is Rock of Ages, Christ within, divine and immortal in all men.

End of part 1. Part 2 coming soon...

**Attn Ezine Editors / Site Owners** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place.

*Get others involved. When we had to clean out storage area in our basement, we got entire family involved. We set aside a Saturday afternoon, and with all of us going at it, making jokes about what we found, job went smoothly and quickly.

*Attack that chore first thing in morning, before you've had time to start dreading it. Then you'll feel good, and proud of what you've accomplished, for rest of day.

*Focus on how good it will feel to have that task done. Visualize a clean, shiny refrigerator or an empty "To File" box.

*If you can carve out time, schedule one day when that nasty chore is only thing you have to do. For example, on my bookkeeping mornings, I don't have to do filing or work on my marketing plan.

*Give yourself a reward for completion. Celebrate that you've got it done!

*Finally, is this something that you, and only you, have s do? What would happen if you didn't do it, or delegated it to someone else, or even hired someone to do it for you? Will world come apart at seams if your spouse does laundry instead of you? Will your business grind to a halt if you don't get everything filed away? Sometimes just letting go of "have to" removes enough stress to make chore bearable.

So next time you find yourself facing a chore you abhor, take a few minutes and find a way to make it just a bit more pleasant. Not only will that chore go more smoothly, but rest of your day will, too.

NOTE: You are welcome to use this article online in electronic newsletters and e-zines as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including "about author" info). If use of this article is desired in print, you must first contact Lynn Cutts at Lynn@ManageYourMuse.com.

Copyright 2005 Lynn Cutts