pa·tience (noun)
1. the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
2. an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay: to have patience with a slow learner.
3. quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence: to work with patience.
My most recent backpacking trip was in the company of a friend who's fairly new to this type of adventure. Though it has it's challenges, it's wonderful to turn someone on to the magic of nature. To witness that "Aha!" moment when they get it. The friend in question is fairly fit and game for most anything. Still, our group planned something a bit less challenging, just to be safe.
The hike in was an easy-moderate 4.6 miles. From here, we'd camp for two nights and venture out on more strenuous day hikes. We reached camp in the early afternoon, set up tents, filled our water bottles, and debated where to head for the remainder of the day. The friend, hearing of our destination, opted to hang out by the lake and read. The rest of us set off to climb the mountain looming over our lake. At the summit, we relaxed for awhile on top, enjoying the magic hour of light, before returning to camp. When we arrived, my friend greeted us excitedly, talking about the quiet, the birds, the smells, the light... she was beaming.
Later, she confessed that after our group had left, she sat staring at the lake. Lonely. Bored. She sat, and she stared, and she listened - for a very long while. And then she began to see - the way the light danced and shimmered across the surface of the lake, the way the fish caused ripples on its surface. And she heard - the song of birds, and the rustle of the wind through the trees. And she got it. She went from boredom - from seeing nothing - to the joy of awareness - seeing everything.
Gaining this awareness takes time. Time that we don't typically allow ourselves in the mad rush of everyday life. We live in a world where we can pretty much get anything we want right when we want it. If we need to talk to someone, we can call, text, or email them and get an instant response. If we need an answer, we can pull out our iPhone and Google it, and have the answer in minutes. So, when we do have moments where our patience is tested at work or at home, it’s easy to get frustrated.
Impatience will not change anything for the better, it only makes us feel worse. Impatience moves us to rush into the next moment without fully experiencing the present one. Pay attention when you find yourself blindly rushing forward. Take a few deep breaths. Focus. Wait. Waiting doesn't mean doing nothing, it means reflecting, relaxing, and seeing what develops. Cultivate patience and you'll not only reduce stress, but make wiser decisions.
Learn from the lesson of nature, of which we are all an integral part, and let everything unfold in its own time.
2. an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay: to have patience with a slow learner.
3. quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence: to work with patience.
My most recent backpacking trip was in the company of a friend who's fairly new to this type of adventure. Though it has it's challenges, it's wonderful to turn someone on to the magic of nature. To witness that "Aha!" moment when they get it. The friend in question is fairly fit and game for most anything. Still, our group planned something a bit less challenging, just to be safe.
The hike in was an easy-moderate 4.6 miles. From here, we'd camp for two nights and venture out on more strenuous day hikes. We reached camp in the early afternoon, set up tents, filled our water bottles, and debated where to head for the remainder of the day. The friend, hearing of our destination, opted to hang out by the lake and read. The rest of us set off to climb the mountain looming over our lake. At the summit, we relaxed for awhile on top, enjoying the magic hour of light, before returning to camp. When we arrived, my friend greeted us excitedly, talking about the quiet, the birds, the smells, the light... she was beaming.
Later, she confessed that after our group had left, she sat staring at the lake. Lonely. Bored. She sat, and she stared, and she listened - for a very long while. And then she began to see - the way the light danced and shimmered across the surface of the lake, the way the fish caused ripples on its surface. And she heard - the song of birds, and the rustle of the wind through the trees. And she got it. She went from boredom - from seeing nothing - to the joy of awareness - seeing everything.
Gaining this awareness takes time. Time that we don't typically allow ourselves in the mad rush of everyday life. We live in a world where we can pretty much get anything we want right when we want it. If we need to talk to someone, we can call, text, or email them and get an instant response. If we need an answer, we can pull out our iPhone and Google it, and have the answer in minutes. So, when we do have moments where our patience is tested at work or at home, it’s easy to get frustrated.
Impatience will not change anything for the better, it only makes us feel worse. Impatience moves us to rush into the next moment without fully experiencing the present one. Pay attention when you find yourself blindly rushing forward. Take a few deep breaths. Focus. Wait. Waiting doesn't mean doing nothing, it means reflecting, relaxing, and seeing what develops. Cultivate patience and you'll not only reduce stress, but make wiser decisions.
Learn from the lesson of nature, of which we are all an integral part, and let everything unfold in its own time.
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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