A thought

I had a few thoughts today. I thought to share them. Questions of why, questions of how, questions of me? All in all they equated to one thought towards the evening. In my typical thinking time, known as my after work shower. My thoughts rested on the idea of discipline. What is discipline, and how do we learn it in old age.
Discipline is doing the things that you say to yourself you are going to do. At least that is my understanding, and it will be the one in which I use for the duration of this thought. This thought of why do I consistently ignore what I should, and want to do in favor of what I shouldn't and don't want to do? Why do I irrestrainably interact with my environment. I often, it occurs to me, leave my desired course of action for one lesser. Why do I do this? What is the root cause of my issues? Such a simple idea of doing what you want to do, yet such a difficult thing.
I have ambitions, I have dreams, I have desires, hopes, wants, wishes, goals, destinations, potential. Yet I lack.
Potential.
Such a dirty word in reality. It speaks of something that has yet to exist, but could possibly. It is the naughtiest word one could ever tell their child. Child you have potential. Read as; You are destined for great things, therefore if you work the same as everyone else you will achieve them. In the mind of a child, everyone is an equal, and when a child is given potential, now they are suddenly going to be better? Excuse my run on sentences. Potential speaks to a part of the brain that for me at least leaves me lacking. I would have benefited more for being praised for hard work. For being praised on my actions, and not my innate abilities.
You are tall, therefore you should play basketball. Unfortunately this kid was always taller than everyone else and never had to work to be good at basketball, and subsequently never worked at it. College tryouts, and open gyms came. He was shorter than everyone else on the field, he was getting trampled, his shot percentages were horrid, and the other tall basketball players kept stuffing him. He still had potential, but he had wasted the time he could've used gaining that potential, by simply utilizing its precursory benefits.
I hope that this makes sense, have a good one.