And does that artist see discipline as a burden?
"No, I see it as a blessing," Janet is quick to say. "As a child, I took it for granted. That's who I was. As a teenager, I wanted to sing and dance. I realized that required concentration. I wanted to reach people, and I had the good sense to see that couldn't happen if my skills weren't crafted with precision. But as I came to adulthood, I was hard on myself. Discipline is one thing; perfectionism is another. Perfectionism is a kind of punishment. It leads to permanent dissatisfaction and heartbreak. It's wonderful to strive for excellence, but demanding perfection only leads to heartache and frustration. It took me years to learn that difficult lesson. But in finally learning it, I now see discipline in a new light."
The light of the winter sun breaks through the grey sky and floods the room. Janet gets up and finds a copy of "Can't Be Good," a song written and produced for her by Ne-Yo, who also did "Discipline." She slips it into the CD player. The sensuous groove stops the conversation; it's all heavenly harmonies and sweet romantic ambivalence.
"The ambivalence and the discipline are in conflict," says Janet when the song stops. "I can relate to the story. In fact, I can imagine myself in the story. After a long relationship that ends in pain, I turn to my old friend, discipline. I discipline myself not to get involved, not to be vulnerable, not to fall in love. My discipline protects me from any more hurt. My discipline keeps me on track. But here comes someone who's so real and right that, as the song says, 'This can't be good.' So discipline really isn't discipline. It's just self-protection and fear of being hurt. It's resistance. Thankfully, the heat of pure passion melts the resistance. And the result is free-flowing love."
"Listen to 'Letchu Go,'" Janet continues. "It was written and produced by Jermaine. When I read the lyrics by Jermaine and Johnta Austin, I couldn't help but cry. The more I thought about the story, the more I saw how it reveals another aspect of positive discipline, especially as it relates to relationships. The song says that we can't stop trying just because we hit rough times. It's not too late; we can't give up on our fate; we can't let go of that discipline that allows us to work through problems and find a way to the wonders that come with open and honest love.
"The album expresses what I need to express at this moment of my life," she says. "It says that discipline, rather than being a problem, can bring pleasure. Discipline is a key to freedom. Discipline allows me--allows all of us--to focus. And the focus must be on thoughts and feelings that nourish our physical and spiritual lives.
"Funny, but my first big album also had a one-word title--Control. I was naive in thinking that I could control every aspect of my life. The only one who really has control is God. But it took discipline--the discipline of thought, the discipline of action, the discipline of creating music--to make me see that. Finally, discipline has to do with faith. I have faith that a gentle but steady discipline will let me continue to grow as an artist and a woman."
