Discipline is one of the most confusing words in the English language because, while a very important word, it has two almost opposite, and therefore confusing, uses - punishment and training. But, in any case, the normal connotation is one of bad not good, dread not delight - even if the ultimate objective (to properly train) is good, the process of discipline, to get there, is considered agony. It is too often considered a 4-letter, dirty, word synonymous with pain (and certainly, most people feel, something to grow out of as we age). Properly and maturely view, however, discipline is not punishment - rather it is what keeps us from being punished Discipline is the tool of self-control - without discipline we will not achieve the focus of effort necessary for any meaningful accomplishment.