IÂ have a little book that I carry around with me in my bag, and jot down things to remember, things I want to remember, and things I must remember.
A few weeks ago I jotted down the words, and circled them with hearts and stars:
” waiting and being patient are very different’
I am not sure where I heard or read it, but I have had so many little moments where these words have pulled me back to where I would prefer to be.
Waiting – for me, has a negative spin – it triggers responses one might have waiting in the queue at the coffee shop, waiting for the traffic light to change, for an Uber, the lift, to see a doctor…usually leaving me feeling irritable, (a waste-of-precious-time reaction).
Being patient- on the other hand, feels calming, cooling, important – being patient feels like a time for noticing, the chance for careful consideration, for finding clarity, and prompting curiosity…the feelings that come hand in hand with acceptance, appreciation, gratitude perhaps.
And as I so often do, I bring my thoughts back to children – how they might feel when their teacher is waiting for them to follow her instructions or to finish a task; or when their parent is waiting for them to leave the house, or to finish their dinner. There is pressure, expectation and often disappointment.
And I think how this might be compared to how they would feel when their dad is patiently lying with them at bedtime, sharing stories of the day, or when grandma is standing patiently alongside them, showing them how to mix the biscuit dough, or when their educator notices their effort to be kind and offer to help their classmate.
Of course, we all would prefer to be patient ; and life does get in the way. However if we were to just shift our energy ever so slightly, and embrace a different perspective, then, in the same time it takes to wait, or less, we might be able to be patient, and in doing so, change how we make others feel around us.