Reflect on the difference between discipline and punishment. Who are the people in your life that have positively shaped you by their discipline and holding you accountable? Have you ever thanked them? As a parent, I see that discipline and punishment go hand in hand. I think often times, discipline is a method and means of learning the correct and moral way of doing things. Having discipline is something that has to be worked on; I can't become a good reader without using the discipline of reading, and I can't be a good person if I don't have the discipline to act in a moral and proper way. Punishment is often meted out when a person lacks discipline, or defies discipline all together. Punishment can often be painful or stressful, but it is often a necessary component to get an individual back on track to living a disciplined life. I think I have learned from the discipline of older individuals who have gone before me. Their example of discipline has given me a model to replicate. As I watch those before me show the quality characteristics given by God, I am able to live my life in a similar way.