Seth on discipline vs cravings and desires

[happiness]

On one hand, Seth said our thoughts and desires create our reality. Our desires give us the power and energy to manifest things and events in our life.

On the other hand, Seth also valued discipline. He said to be a teacher/guide, like the kind he is, requires great discipline and training. He also said illnesses often are a result of lazy mental habits.

But I see discipline as a denial of our desires/cravings. So I don't understand how the two can be compatible. For example, should I give in to my unhealthy cravings for chocolates/potato chips/instant noodles, avoiding vegetables? Or should I discipline myself and force myself to do things I don't like, such as exercising, eating more vegetables and having meals that are plain and tasteless.

Chocolates make me happy. So by disciplining myself away from chocolates, am I denying myself a happy life? But a healthy, muscular body brings me happiness too. Why can't I eat chocolates all the way to a muscular body, without exercising?

Similar kind of questions can be asked on whether you should spend time playing computer games, watching mindless YouTube videos, etc. Should you play computer games when you want to? Or would you discipline yourself? How do you tell whether playing computer games is a waste of your time, making you unproductive, or whether you would one day become a famous gamer or YouTube game reviewer, earning millions? How do you tell whether watching mindless YouTube videos is a waste of your time, making you unproductive, or whether you would chance upon something that gives you the inspiration to solve a problem, start a successful business, etc?

[LenKop]

Questions your beliefs, that's how you tell.

Why do you believe chocolates 'make' you anything? Do you believe that playing computer games is 'always' a waste of time? Why do you believe discipline is a denial of anything? Maybe true discipline is finding your true desire? Maybe true desire is finding what you are naturally disciplined at? Maybe the cravings are manifestations of deep beliefs that are influencing your actions?

Just off the top of my head...

It's always about what you believe.

How do you tell whether watching mindless YouTube videos is a waste of your time, making you unproductive, or whether you would chance upon something that gives you the inspiration to solve a problem, start a successful business, etc?

When you find this out, let us know. 

Len

[Deb]

Questions your beliefs, that's how you tell.

Ha ha Len, you're terrific. You said you no longer read Seth. I think it's because you've graduated. I remember Richie Kendall complaining to Seth during one of the classes that his girlfriend was not interested in the Seth books. Seth said not everyone needs to read them. I wish I could find the quote, but it may have been in the audio, IDK.

Happiness your use of the word cravings — do you mean listening to inner guidance/impulses and being spontaneous? I think that's different from Seth saying our thoughts and desires create our reality. I don't think of desire and craving as being exactly the same thing and I don't recall Seth using the word craving.

If you mean impulses, my take on this is that we in this physical plane have buried the ability to recognize or acknowledge communication from our inner selves ( the ego has gotten too strong ), and that we need to learn how to listen to our impulses because they are guidance from our inner self to keep us on track for what we are trying to accomplish here (value fulfillment goals).

One of the definitions of discipline is orderly conduct, which I imagine would be necessary for non-physical teachers and guides to be able to accomplish their objectives. If they also have or need inner guidance, they'd have to be better at recognizing it than we are. I don't feel discipline and spontaneity are mutually exclusive.

My view of cravings is a little different than impulses, in that to me they are purely physical. I'm pretty in-tune with my body, and occasionally I crave certain things and realize my body is telling me it is lacking in something, whether it's potassium, iron, sleep, sun, water, etc. Even a bit of chocolate, lol. I give my body what it asks for and the craving goes away. But there are some what I consider "distorted" cravings for things that our body does not "need" for survival — sugar, alcohol, drugs, too much time on the computer, gaming. These are more like habits or addictions to me, where the craving does not go away. 

Why can't I eat chocolates all the way to a muscular body, without exercising?

Theoretically we can, but we'd have to overcome a lifetime of beliefs due to being told we can't.

There is an old topic on being impulsive vs. spontaneous, if you want to check it out. A lot of times the confusion over some of Seth's concepts comes not only from our beliefs in general, but sometimes from our personal definitions of words.

[Sena]

Why do you believe discipline is a denial of anything? Maybe true discipline is finding your true desire? Maybe true desire is finding what you are naturally disciplined at?

Lenkop, that is a useful way of looking at discipline. I think that the bravest example of discipline may be just staying alive. According to Seth, we have the option of dying (of perfectly natural causes, NOT suicide) at any moment. Yet even very poor people suffering in conflict zones choose to stay alive, perhaps for the sake of their children. That is discipline, and it is not a denial of anything.

[Neo]

How do you tell whether playing computer games is a waste of your time, making you unproductive, or whether you would one day become a famous gamer or YouTube game reviewer, earning millions?

It's only a waste if you think it is.

I think the key is really to get to know ourselves and to know where our desires/wishes/wants/thoughts come from. Just like Len said above, it's all about beliefs. I think it's just about getting to know your own true feelings (you own 'core being') and following those instead of some adopted beliefs we have taken upon us from the world surrounding us. And these are always limiting, distorting and restricting our reality. True/"pure" desire is just that - desire for the pure joy of doing something, it is not conditional. It does not necessarily seek any goal (though it might know that oh, I AM going to end up famous and rich if I do continue playing these games, but it is not the goal itself that is important), but does things for the pure joy of doing things, because it's in alignment with who we are. So if you enjoy playing video games, of course do it! However, if you are playing video games to distract yourself or run away from some other things you might not want to face, you are doing it for the wrong reasons, and then I wouldn't really give the same advice. Everything really depends on the intent, not the action itself.