Discipline Equals Freedom

*Quick note: This is a diversion from the kind of content I usually post here but here’s what I’m thinking. I like books but I tend to buy more than I read (this book came out in 2017)- I don’t want to have a big library so I’m going to read the books, summarize and sketch them out, then post the sketch and give away the books. The theme of most of the books I buy are books about Christianity, self-help, and creativity so that’s mostly what you’ll see when I do this. I’ll compare them to the ultimate word on Christianity, self-help, and creativity: the Bible. Don’t expect long exposition here, a paragraph or two and that’s it!

I like books that get to the point and “Discipline Equals Freedom” gets to the point immediately. There’s no meandering around the idea that discipline can be the ally in solving some of the problems you may be facing in your life. Jocko Willink (a retired Navy Seal) splits this book into two parts: how to think and what to do. The thinking part of the book reads more like a prescription; if you have problems with motivation, procrastination, waking up early, or what my brother-in-law eloquently describes as stinkin’ thinkin’ there’s a page to go to with simple idea of how you can change your mind. The second part of the book is a literal manual: how to eat, how to work out, etc.

The Bible has a lot to say about the virtue of self-discipline. I could list a dozen or so verses like Proverbs 12:1, 1 Corinthians 9:27, and practically the entire book of James that all speak to the idea of self-discipline. I love the idea of taking control of your life and your body; it’s an empowering notion and when guided by the love and direction of a God who has a plan for our lives it’s literally a prescription for living a purposeful life.

Personally, I love it. It’s best used as a quick shot of motivation and as a..well…a field manual. I will say, the book design makes this one of the manliest books I’ve ever held. No dust cover, all black (including the pages that are black with white text) and so many pictures of sweaty concrete. It’s super masculine but I’m sure the words could apply to woman just as well. The picture I drew is a little more abstract because like I said, there’s not a narrative. It’s a tool, packed with a lifetime of knowledge, pressed into a book that looks like a brick.

Get the book here: Discipline Equals Freedom