2'10 SC: Self Control

If you refer to my early January blogs I talked about my 2010 Mussar practice and my 2010 "spiritual curriculum"...

I set out to focus on 13 traits for one week each and go through this cycle 4 times this year. I am finding that focusing on intense character analysis and transformation for one week is far from sufficient for the task at hand. Hence, I'm changing up my approach...

For the remainder of the year I will work on one trait per month... I'll use the month to:

-Assess myself in the area in question
-Study that topic
-Meditate on the topic
-Do tasks that foster that trait
-Memorize Torah and/or quotes on the topic

I'll take a "soul" approach to the topic:

-Mind Thinking
-Sight
-Speech
-Heart Feeling
-Will Doing

Given a topic that is much on my mind and heart these days is the guard of the tongue I'll begin my revised pilgrimage today... For 2'10 my focus will be on self control...

Guard of the tongue, moderation, gluttony.

Ben Zoma would say... Who is strong? One who overpowers his inclinations.
Pirkei Avot 4:1

This is man's main task, not to go after his desires, but (Tehillim 32:9) "to restrain himself with a bit and bridle when he is being groomed." Man must deprive himself until he dies, not by fasting or asceticism, but by controlling his mouth and desires. This is teshuvah.
The Vilna Gaon

Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself. ~Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Insecurity of Freedom: Essays on Human Existence, 1967

Do not bite at the bait of pleasure till you know there is no hook beneath it. ~Thomas Jefferson

If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins. ~Benjamin Franklin