Most of us would agree that our language can be fickle. Words that we thought had one clear meaning change from generation to generation. It’s even a challenge for editors of most dictionaries to keep up.
Several years ago, I was coaching a young man in wrestling and showed him a new move. “That’s sick,” he told me with a big smile on his face. I wasn’t sure what he meant, but he did what I told him to do and seemed appreciative. Sick, in my mind, meant that something or someone was wrong, damaged or even perverted. He meant it as a compliment, at least I think so.
Similarly, some people of a younger generation use the word “wicked” when praising someone or something. Wicked, to me, means something distressing or immoral or evil. Today, not so.
Going a step further, when you now hear that someone is “killing it,” you should not call the police — at least not right away. “Killing it” now means someone is doing a great job. Not too long ago, “killing it” would have meant someone failed miserably. Or, of course, it would mean the physical act of murder, which would not be good.
I started thinking about these words and phrases with double meanings when I was revisiting the power of — and the need for — discipline in our lives. Just mention the word “discipline,” and some folks envision a reprimand or a punishment. It has a complete negative connotation for them. As a verb, that can be true.
Others see “discipline” entirely differently. As a noun, it can mean a type of systematic training or self-control. It can be mental or physical, but its intent is to create improvement through structure.
Like the aforementioned words, the definition of discipline may change for us as we age. When younger, we often reject rules and structure and order. As we grow older, we begin to understand the need for discipline, and we often yearn for it, as we know it creates habits that actually help us improve.
Diet. Exercise. Knowledge. Relationships. Discipline plays into our lives in more ways than we want to admit. If we truly want to improve, though, we need to stick to proven structures with steps to get us there. That’s the power of discipline, and when we learn how to kill it, it's wickedly sick.
Have a great week, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
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