On Patience
I want it now. Not next week. Not tomorrow. But now.
It’s amazing how technology and “progress” have enabled us to procure pleasures faster. Walking down the street, I can click a few buttons on my phone and receive an Amazon book in my home the same day I order it!
This will undoubtedly become as passé and arcane as hearing an early telephone user saying, “Can you believe it? I can speak to someone miles away without ever having to leave my rocking chair.”
We’ve grown so accustomed to rapid procurement and near-instant gratification.
Until we don’t have it.
Whenever the “internet is down” or cellular service disabled, it sometimes feels as if the world stops.
It’s hard to be patient when we’re used to getting things right away.
The first (and one-thousandth) time I practiced meditation I was frustrated by how long it was taking. Ditto for learning to play guitar. Same for building companies. We want to see results ASAP.
But I’ve learned that simply showing up and “trusting the process” not only help build patience, they also lead to a joyful experience of progress.
I appreciate how Saint Augustine correlates patience with wisdom. Each complements the other.
I also like how Albert Einstein put it: “I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, my conclusion is wrong. The hundredth time I am right.”
By co-cultivating patience and wisdom, we experience extended satisfaction that far exceeds instant gratification.
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