problem with that?” I can hear you asking. Well, if you know anything about what it means to be a high achiever, you will understand that it is a very difficult image to live up to and can wreak havoc on your mental health. When your life is spent being told by parents and teachers that you are intelligent and you are encouraged to keep on getting good grades, success becomes the main focus in your life. This starts from childhood and you carry the same mentality into adulthood. An immense amount of pressure is placed on you and you risk experiencing burnout and stress. You also become petrified of failure because you don’t want to disappoint the people who are expecting you to succeed. You then begin working tirelessly every minute of the day to gain qualifications that you really don’t care too much about. Each time you get a new qualification or accolade, does it give you permanent happiness? No, so what’s the point? If you do end up failing at something, your self-image is totally destroyed because all you have heard your entire life is that you are going to be successful. For high achievers, failure is a sign that you no longer have control over your life, and no one wants to feel as if their life is out of control. ZEN PHILOSOPHY AND SELF-DISCIPLINE So why will incorporating Zen principles into your life help you master selfdiscipline? First, you will accept that since there is no escape from suffering, you should prepare for it by working toward your goals. Second, you will have the ability to control your mind. Instead of wasting time and energy thinking about regrets and ruminating, you will focus on appreciating the present moment. Third, you will stop allowing fear to control you because fear is nothing but the result of thinking the worst about whatever situation you are in. If you learn how to stop focusing on negative possibilities, fear won’t be able to dominate you. You will begin to think more clearly, and you will be much calmer because you are no longer battling with your negative thoughts. Since Buddhism is all about living in the present, it only makes sense to question why you should even bother focusing on achieving your goals. However, the principles of Zen are not opposed to people becoming successful and accomplishing great things in life. Of course, you should plan for the future; only a fool would fail to do so. The idea is that you shouldn’t live in fear concerning your future. Buddha put together a spiritual framework known as the Eightfold Path, and in it he provides guidelines about “right speech,” “right view,” and “right action.” These guidelines are not only proactive, but they are also goals. The Eightfold path makes it clear that the principles of Zen are not