How important is it to Practice Patience?

Many years ago I recognized impatience as being my biggest character flaw.

Every time I’d gotten myself into trouble in life… It was through impatience.

And so upon reflection it was also true that every time I had taken one of the many opportunities offered to me to practice patience and succeeded - I had been rewarded in some way later on.

The grandest, tallest, mightiest Oak you can imagine was once just a small seed.

But with great lengths of time, It became a magnificent sight to behold… something that is deeply rooted and unmovable.

So I feel it follows true with everything in life. Growth, the sprouting of seeds, the spreading of roots, the flowering of fruit - These intricate processes do not tend to happen over night.

In today’s world we are bred to be impatient. More and more we expect our needs to be met with ever-increasing speed, becoming frustrated when we don’t get what we want when we’ve told ourselves we need it. Frustration and annoyance bubbles inside as we battle to be patient and just enjoy the ride. But these things are not always so easy to hide.

You see...

We all like to stress ourselves out over the things we can’t control - a long queue at the supermarket, a traffic jam, a late delivery, rain on a wedding day...

Yet we forget to make use of the one thing we will always have control of -

The way we choose to either react or respond to any given situation.

Whatever happens to you, there is no unescapable response that you are tied to. You don’t have to be bound by behavioral patterns that have been burdens throughout your past. You can always make a change and you can always make it last.

You choose.

You can always take control…

At any time.

So now… for many years I have slowly been building my conscious awareness around my own impatience and, when successfully recognizing it, practicing choosing to experience calm and collective composure through patience instead of the unnecessary stress caused by choosing the usual default of impatience. As with all growth…

it will take some time.

Sadly, many of us are not willing to wait for the things that we truly desire for ourselves. It can take many years for some dreams and ambitions to come to full fruition - to their fullest beauty - and so soon we become content to settle for something far less glorious than the true visions and aspirations we hold in our minds.

I feel that my whole life story is about patience. I have so much I want to do in this world and big dreams and goals thats I wish to achieve.. and often I have this persistent feeling that I want it all to be happening now… Like if I don’t get on with it and make it happen soon, I’m going to miss ‘my chance’ -

Typical thought patterns and feelings generated by the mindset of impatience
--> of wanting to take the fruits before they are ripe and ready.

The thing is if you do that… The fruit you take too soon will never look or taste or feel or smell or sound as incredibly divine and delicious when you bite into it as it would have done if it was just left alone to grow into it’s fullest glory before being harvested and enjoyed.

So I’ve realized now that I simply have to patiently wait until the fruits of my labour in this world expand into their fullest glory.

But I still need reminding to be patient… and I guess it’s why I’ve written this post today… and I guess it's why Nelson up there is now a thing that exists in my life.

Beyond just being a cool-as-f**k badman turtle made from sublime crystals that took BILLIONS OF YEARS to form and countless hours to collect, cut, sculpt and craft… He’s much more than that.

He is in fact a physical embodiment and metaphor perfectly suited to define an underlying principle of being patient -

Take your time - There’s no need to rush - Wherever you’re going -
Just like the turtle…
You’ll get there in the end no matter what….

- So Remember to enjoy the path that you walk there.
It’s full of wondrous, hidden beauty to discover…
But without equipping yourself with the virtue of patience,
So many of these hidden treasures lay so often undiscovered.
As the world rushes by in a blur…
Smothered.

But truly I know everything happens at it’s perfect time in life. I cannot achieve my dreams and goals too soon nor too late… It will all happen at the right time. This life is about the journey we take not the destination we seek, for it’s within the journey to where we are going that the true bliss and euphoria can be experienced. When you reach your destination, it will only be so long before you choose the next destination and begin your next grand adventure through this life.

And the truth is…

We have A LOT of time to play around with together here… I mean it’s as good as infinite so… Choosing to embody impatience in those times you are tested is not only destructive and toxic to the whole system - it’s entirely unnecessary too.

So each day I find new ways and spot spontaneous opportunities to continue to practice patience. Like a muscle, with use it gets stronger and begins to become capable of dealing with much more testing and trying situations that before it would have buckled beneath.

After traveling for over 6 months and buying many lovely gifts to give to the wonderful souls I would meet along the way, I came across an enchanting and captivating crystal store in Mérida, Mexico. Before long I found these little guys, and decided it was time to buy myself a little gift for once - Something solid and meaningful that I could keep forever to always remind me of everything I experienced on this trip.

^^ So I bought this little guy, and I named him Nelson after the great and infinitely patient Nelson Mandela. (PS I just took this photo with my phone.. so it’s kinda poor quality! I’m up late at night, almost 3am Guatemala time, totally excited and inspired by everything I’ve seen on my first day at Steemit today and… Just thought I’d given anyone who reads this an update of what Nelson’s up to in this moment - Chilling on a cloth Inside a wooden Cabin just above my bed…. [See Below])

^^ And this is what’s outside the cabin, the giant gargantuan and infinite beauty that is Lago de Atítlan in Guatemala - A place that took who knows how many millions of years to form into what it is now… Yet another unmissable reminder of the gifts that come with patience...

These Great Things Take Time.

So Nelson is a life-long reminder to me to always continue to build and strengthen my patience muscles as I travel through this life. I feel one day in later life, when I’ve really got there… when I truly know that I have become effortlessly patient at all times - perhaps then the most potent and powerful piece of poetry of my life will finally be able to flow through me, telling the story, the importance and the significance of patience in our lives.

Until that happens and I’m able to truly write something profound about what it means to be patient, I’m just gonna keep traveling the world, taking Nelson along for the ride and using him to inspire funny photos along with stories and poetry related to the discipline of true patience… Each one taking me one step closer along the beautiful path there.

I hope that this post will inspire others who read it to take this simple practice into consideration and try to spot times when they may be acting impatiently.

For me, becoming more patient has relieved me in many situations from experiencing self-created stress. frustration and aggravation. I’ve been trying it out for a while now and in my experience… It’s definitely the better of the two choices.

Ironically… or possible quite appropriately - it seems to take a very long time and a lot of dedication, determination and ongoing practice to truly master the art of what I will call here -

‘Perfect Patience’ - The ability to remain patient without need for internal debate - even during the most testing of situations imaginable.

I know I’m a hell of a long way yet but still.. I’m on my way… and it’s something I will practice every day until I eventually get there.

I know it will take a long time, perhaps even a whole life time… But in the end…

I know I’ll get there…

Just like the turtle.

I’m just gonna have to be…

Patient, I guess.

I’d love to hear any stories any readers may have involving either patience or impatience and the results of your choices. I am sure it’s one of the most important and beneficial human attributes we can develop in life and I’m interested to see who else agrees!

==
Don’t be shy..
Get in touch,
And Say Hello,
And tell me which way
Your Heart Flows.
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With Love from Nelson and
Hart Floe
<3