Patience is a lost skill I’m finding.
I’ve been up since 4am. I had early morning tests in Chicago and had to catch a train.
A test that usually takes an hour took three for me. I’m a complex case.
The staff kept apologizing and I just laid there and took it in stride. They seemed surprised I wasn’t getting upset.
In my mind I saw absolutely no value in telling myself a story full of “shoulds” that would be upsetting but change absolutely nothing.
Instead I focused on my breathing.
I scanned my body for muscles I could relax.
I answered staff questions and occasionally listened to the traffic outside.
I wasn’t bored or impatient in large part because I wasn’t fixated on the idea that I’d rather be somewhere else or that things “should” be going differently.
Things weren’t bad, they were just different than expected. I can handle different.
I can focus on the experience I’m having, in the moment until it is passed.
When you think about the difference between the things you can control and the things outside your control.
The most powerful force in your tool box is your attention.
You pay attention and receive a direct connection to life unfolding in real time.
You notice more of the little things and they’re magnificent.
When you become skilled at this, being patient can provide you an opportunity to witness a whole lot going on around you. And within you.
