I went to church this weekend and heard a great message about being and accepting discipline. One verse that the pastor talked about stood out to me though.

It was Philippians 3:12-14. It states, ” Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

This passage really spoke to me because of all the negative things that have happened to me, such as my accident. It reminded me that I cannot change what has already happened. I have to focus on improving myself today so that I can make the rest of my future positive and of high quality. This has been hard for me to do, since everyday I see myself needing the assistance of others and not being able to do everything I need or want to do for myself.When these negative thoughts enter into my mind, I try to focus on what I have done to better my situation, such as getting a college degree, being a leader in my alumni association, and even losing 50 lbs last year.Actually taking the time to see what I have accomplished since my accident drives me to continue pushing to improve everything I possibly can with my situation. I am actually getting enough pride within myself and self-confidence that I am stepping out to meet people with the goal of eventually finding a partner that will stand with me through the rest of my life.

In order for me to continue pushing toward a future, I must have a worthy goal that will give me the self-discipline to bypass any and everything that may keep me from reaching my goal. As for me it is to become self-sufficient, find someone to live my life with, and to walk again. This BIG, wonderful goal keeps me eating right, exercising several days each week, and researching and applying to research studies that are making paralyzed people walk again. This goal, or vision of my future is so great that I will continue working diligently, and endlessly to better myself so that I WILL achieve this goal.

So the question is what past do you need to turn away from, and what future goal do you need or want to set in order to help discipline your life?

G