Well known actor and producer Will Smith also speaks as a motivational speaker. In this short video he talks about the need for self-discipline if you want to be happy. He speaks about how self-discipline, not blaming others, is how you increase your self-esteem. To have self-discipline means to have self-love and this is where self-esteem comes from. He says that self-esteem is not increased by gaining favor with others but in how you gain favor with yourself. Michael Jackson had a song called, "The man in the mirror," and it's the person who is looking back at you in the mirror who you must control. Self-discipline is the foundation for a happy life. Change will only happen when you control your behaviors. What you think, what you believe, what you do with those beliefs, and the consequences for your choices are your responsibility.
"Your heart, your life, your happiness, is your responsibility and your responsibility alone."
Will Smith
We have we become a society of victims? Everywhere you look in the media there is someone to blame. There is no self-discipline because there is no consequence for behaviors. If I want pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the consequence is I'll get fat. If I want to consume large quantities of alcohol, smoke pot, and take pills, the consequence is a short lived life. Remove the consequences and I can do and say whatever I want and have no fear of retribution. When I can say I don't need self-control, I can blame others for my choices and they will be the ones to suffer the consequences not me. When there is no self-discipline, discipline must come from external forces. That is why we have laws. Remove the laws and the consequences of breaking those laws and we have a lawless society. This is sad. But this is where America is today and this is why we are spinning out of control. When consequences are removed there is nothing to keep us safe. There is a saying, "Rome fell in one day." America is falling and if we don't take control and discipline ourselves, bring discipline back to our cities and remove the lack of discipline from our streets...we might be saying, "America fell."