July 25

PATIENCE MONTH: DAY 25: “The world gives us PLENTY of opportunities to strengthen our patience. While this truth can definitely be challenging, this is a good thing. Patience is a key that unlocks the door to a more fulfilling life. It is through a cultivation of patience that we become better parents, powerful teachers, great businessmen, good friends, and a live a happier life.” ― Steve Maraboli

Learning to wait well is a great practice. When I am waiting well, I am kinder, softer, more yielding and receptive. All of these are properties of myself that I need to gather if I am to be the person I truly long to be.

That is a person of compassion and heart. This is my goal. I cannot be a person of compassion and heart when I see whatever you need as an interruption of what I am doing. Oh! So, I can be kinder and more receptive to you when I do not value myself and what I am doing as more valuable or more important. I had never thought of these concepts before coming here.

You taught me, with your infinite patience in my process, that kindness will yield far greater results with someone who is broken. I was horribly broken and needed kindness. That is only achieved through patience. Love is only achieved through patience. Peace is only achieved through patience.

I cannot scream incessantly at someone to get to where I need them to be and expect them to feel loved or honored in any way. I sometimes feel these things and have to step down from my platform and allow you to do what you do in your own way and time. That is the key to developing trusting relationships with others. We all have challenges with this.

I sometimes am impatient with those who say they want to have what I have, but are not willing to do as I did (and still do). The truth is this, if I practice patience with them, I may not allow them to get what I have.

I did not always wait on things to unfold. Some of my lessons were Divinely inspired to suit my impatient nature. I may have learned a great deal about what my impatience brings into my life. I am not a slow learner. I consume material and concepts and grasp pretty quickly. It is my weird makeup.

I have high energy and do a great deal of processing in a short time. That is my nature. So, it may not match what others have to do to get the same things in life. It may not be their nature to get those lessons at all.

That is one of my lessons for others. That I will not wait for you to “get ready” to do something. Whatever your process is, I will move on from that if I cannot sit with it, or if I believe you are sitting with it for too long. I can accept that we have different rates and ways of doing and being and learning.

Because I cannot learn in another fashion, perhaps you cannot either. That is good to accept and know and work with or not.

Life is infinitely fascinating. I love what I am getting, so I will keep doing what I am doing. That is the best lesson I have received from the Fellowship and the old sayings I was blessed to hear when I was new. Some of them are not used like they were. I am glad I got to hear them. They have served me well over the last 31 years.

And I have been patient, more so every day, with my own process recently. There have been huge markers for me to see along the way. Powerful and lovely to keep me on the path that belongs to me. I don’t know what anyone else’s is, but I love the one I am on at this time.