Following up on the previous post about discipline and grief, let’s bring another word into the conversation: “Blissipline.” A phrase coined by Dr. Michael Beckwith blissipline is: “The combination of love for something with the willingness to do what it takes to practice it.” In other words, blissipline describes a state where what we do is also what’s best for us.
The word itself is a bit clunky. Yet, when we read the definition we immediately connect to a sense of what this means. We hopefully all have the life experience to recall a time when pursuing excellence and enjoying the ride, overlapped.
It’s what happens when we are in “FLOW” (Mihaly Cheekjsentmehay). It’s the projects we are working on when we forget what time it is. It’s the connection we share when we break bread with a soulful friend with whom we have a deep history and hours pass without realizing it. It’s the feeling we have when what we create matches our intentions and our outer worlds match our inner world.
How do we cultivate blissipline? Referring back to the last post, we cultivate the intersection of being and doing by making repeated, multiple micro decisions that are consistent with our core. Which of course, begs the question “What do I believe at my core?”
As Author Russell Brand says “Beliefs are thoughts that we like having.” So what thoughts do we “like” having? They are different for everyone, but the key invitation here is knowing ourselves well enough to make decisions in integrity with, not opposition to what we take to be true.
For example: I have a core belief that I am part of nature and everything that is alive. I also hold a belief that moving my body is a gift I can give myself for physical and mental health. If I get on a treadmill and start thinking “My body is not ok, I have to work out more, I have to move faster, why am I so slow?” I might burn a couple hundred calories, but I am not in integrity with my belief that I am a part of nature. I will feel “good” having exercised, but not necessarily feel “blissipline.’
Alternatively, if I go for a 3 mile hike outdoors I still believe moving my body is a gift for my physical and mental health, but by being outdoors instead of at a gym I can become part of the landscape I am moving through. I spend time with my nature family in the woods, all creatures great and small, the flow of fresh air and the warm sun (or freezing snow flakes) that tickle my face. I am not looking at “numbers” on a machine or how fast/slow I am moving compared to others. I am completely in the moment when I honor both my connection to nature, and my draw to exercise as a method of self care.
Allowing the overlap of beliefs to guide our micro and macro decisions cultivates a sense of “blissipline.” How do we know when we are moving toward blissipline? When we lose track of time being creative. When we can’t hang up from a phone call with an old friend. When there is no disconnect, between who I take myself to be (ego) and my choices for how to spend my time.
Another way to help guide this worthy pursuit of blissipline is by understanding what it is NOT: When we compete and win something through dishonesty, we might find satisfaction, but we will not achieve blissipline. If we say something with conviction, that we truly believe, but that also disparages someone or something else, we may feel like we got to speak our peace, but blissipline cannot be attained by stepping on the back of another living creature. Yes, that includes colleagues, family members and especially strangers.
So get siked and go cultivate some blissipline! Try to catch yourself getting lost in something that is also beneficial to you. When you do, you will identify the unique characteristics of this state, and get used to recognizing them when they arise. The more we can name how we are feeling, the clearer things become. The clearer things become the more choices we can make in support of blissipline, as we practice making this baseline our new normal.
And if you’re having trouble experiencing what you imagine as blissipline, don’t give up! If your inner and outer consciousness are not in sync, perfect! It means you have plenty to work with! Let us know how its going by leaving a comment!