Discipline Begins At Home; Self Control is Safe Landing – Nwaorgu Eze Onyeokekenwa

When I was a child, I thought and behaved as a child but my parents never spared me as a child, if I perform badly. They played their disciplinary, nurturing, caring and full grip roles on me because I am their image, pride and hope for better future. I never valued their corrections as discipline, against my stubbornness. But the day I saw the exchange of blows by two different families against each other and the invitation of the civil police to settle the problem caused by their children, that alone gave me sense of discipline and self-control. And that fight between those two different families expressed the level parental weakness in child upbringing, because when the head is rotten, you know what happens to the body. Since then, I woke up to the adherence of my parental instructions and disciplinary tones.

Each day that I woke up and got prepared for school, I will be given instructions such like “do not fight in school”, “listen to your teachers instructions and teachings”, “ don’t talk back at your teachers”, and so on. As strict as my parents were, coupled with the strong handling of my teachers then, I can proudly say that my discipline is not in doubt. My parents as my leaders then were disciplined enough to manage, control and provide for their children with their little resources. Family as an institution is also known as an organization and a legal entity. That is why every family is responsible for her actions and inaction and will always have rules and regulations, in fact enacted laws that will be a strong guide in order to protect the family’s image and reputation.

Consequently, I grew up and started working in the already inculcated good manners, characters and positive attitudes to work and environment. If I was not well brought up, I will suffer, the organization where I work will become a big challenge for me to cope and any society I found myself will face challenges due to my actions negatively. I appreciate my parents!

However, for one to succeed and progress in any works of life, it requires discipline and self-control, and these two facts should be among the first five priorities of your daily guides. Then, integrity, courage and respect for your fellow citizens in your family and the society at large will follow. There are organizations and institutions that are actually facing serious downfalls and inconsistencies because of their poor level of discipline and lack of self-control. Some marriages and careers have gone as waste time and energy due to the reason that discipline and self-control are dead without revival. I know of an institution that has “discipline as her bedrock of existence”, another has it as “the only route to success and so on.

Every institution and organization has standard operating rules. Some organizations call it “standing orders”, others call it “guidelines” and some call it “dos and don’ts” and a State calls it Constitution but whatever name it’s been called, the problem is those who are not disciplined from their homes will surely lack self-control in everything they do. There will always be bad eggs in the society. That’s why bribery, cheating, stealing, embezzlement, suicide, murder, rape amongst others, are on the increase. In organization, where her workers or personnel that are meant to serve the general public in any form of services, decide to shatter the life and career of the people receiving the services, it becomes a total manners of indiscipline and lack of self-control.

There are a lot of dramatic and decisive moments we go through at any point of our lives. It is unfortunate how we communicate with others when we are fully aware that ill communication can erupt crisis. For instance, a woman having misunderstanding with a man will voice out and say “if you are a man slap me”, then someone will see a man with weapons and tell him “you can’t do anything” and so on then if that man lacks discipline and self-control, being with his weapon the story will change.. However, in our various efforts and capacities, we have failed when it comes to discipline and self-control. It is only a leader with discipline and self-control that can judiciously perform and deliver the services expected of him or her either in Public or Private sector, and even at home. It is only a person with discipline and self-control that will not pocket the money meant for the well being of others. Other person may call it Fear of God, but we all go to church and mosque. If you don’t have discipline and self-control, even in the Altar of God you can commit crime. People will always say a “lacks home training” because that they have seen some expected values missing in that child.

Moreover, it is only a person who is well grinded in the manners of discipline and self-control that can have respect for others and can take to written or spoken instructions, can humbly serve others for the development and growth of the society and in maintaining peace and tranquility, and in whatever capacity you found yourself to serve. And recognizing the fact that you are dealing with people of the same features as human beings as you are, but if discipline doesn’t begin at home, the self-control to behave responsibly will not give you safe landing in anything you find yourself doing as an individual. If self-control in missing for safe landing, crash landing is inevitable. It’s said that one finger touches the oil that affects the rest, this is because if one person doesn’t exercise discipline and self-control when temptation comes, it will surely affect the good efforts of others, image and reputation of that institution.

Therefore discipline begins at home, self-control begins at home, humility begins at home, your religion begins at home, your wisdom begins at home, your respect begins at home, your aptitude begins at home, your manner of approach begins at home, your attitude to work begins at home and your service to humanity begins at home. That is why some people who found it difficult living with others have continuously faced hatred and retrogression.

Finally, the present upheavals spreading all over our community and society requires discipline and self-control so that we will not fifty years to repair and fix what we have damaged within five days, at least for interest generation unborn. Dialogue and peaceful communication will bring to harmonization and restoration hope.

It’s my duty, it’s your duty and it’s our duty to make our nation a home for all with discipline and self-control, so that we all can land safely in whatever we do.

Written by Nwaorgu Eze Onyeokekenwa.