Does Discipline Make A Difference in Getting Breast Cancer?

I always believed that if we led a life that was disciplined, we would not get breast cancer. It’s like following the rules and regulations for anything else. Therefore, if you do as you are told by the doctors and all of the medical experts and eat the recommended foods, exercise on a regular basis, avoid stress and get enough sleep, you will be healthy and live a very long life that is free from disease and you will die of natural causes in your sleep. Ah, oh, I am back! I was laughing so hard that I had to step away for a bit until I could refocus on what I was writing. Now it is time to get real.

“The important think is how you impose discipline upon yourself. If you do it in a way that promotes your best health, care and interest, then you will create a wonderful and happy life for yourself.”Barbara Jacoby

I know people who have chosen to live such a structured life and I don’t know a single one of them who is happy that way. They are so focused on meeting and exceeding each of the expectations that has been outlined for them that there is no time to do anything else. There is no wiggle room to deviate from what has been laid out as acceptable for fear that the results will be devastating. But, then what happens is the discipline imposed causes so much stress that we feel miserable and start trying to figure out what we are doing wrong. Now that is certainly no way to live if you ask me.

Of course I don’t think that we can eat whatever we want in unlimited quantities. However, I do believe that variety is the spice of life in everything that we do. With that in mind, I do think that we can enjoy all of the different foods that appeal to us in moderation and with a true feeling of satisfaction. After all, you may love pastrami and you should feel free to have a nice pastrami sandwich and enjoy it with the understanding that you don’t have to have one every day and there is plenty pastrami available to enjoy again in the future.

When it comes to exercise, you don’t have to ride a stationary bike for an hour each day in order to get enough of a cardio workout. Enjoy a nice hike with a friend or dance to your favorite music instead. Go to the park and run around with your dog or kick a soccer ball around with the children. Hit the tennis courts or the basketball or volleyball courts and play to your heart’s content. There are just so many things that you can do when you choose to get up and move and you will feel better when you are done.

As for the sleep, that is my favorite. It is one of my favorite things to do. Since we don’t have children, I can keep my own schedules. Sometimes that makes me feel like I am wasting time that I could be doing something constructive but then I come to my senses. Such an idea is promoted by those who can’t sleep as long as they want so they try to make me feel guilty that I can. I have always made my sleep a priority and the more that I learn about how important sleep is in so many ways, the better I feel about devoting the time that is needed to meet my personal minimum. So, back to my original question – does discipline make a difference? – you bet it does.

The important think is how you impose discipline upon yourself. If you do it in a way that promotes your best health, care and interest, then you will create a wonderful and happy life for yourself. But, should you choose to impose such restrictions upon yourself then you create a life of stress because you can’t possibly meet the goals that you impose upon yourself. Then you are doing yourself a major disservice. And heaven forbid if you are trying to meet the expectations that others impose upon you! Life is too short not to treat yourself with kindness, respect and love every day. That is the only discipline that will help us all to lead a much happier life.