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Ninety minutes on the pitch (plus any stoppage time) during a football/soccer match can sometimes result in a 0-0 draw or at best the lowest points scored.
Every July, cyclists travel up and down France for 21 days before reaching the final finish line of Le Tour de France in Paris. The winner isn’t determined until about a month after they start.
I know TSLL readers know all about each of these sports, their duration, their challenges, the rules the athletes follow, so I am bringing them back to our attention. Each exemplifies, in vivid fashion, how patience is far from active engagement and passivity.
Another example is sharing books The monk and the butterflyDraws our attention to the often overlooked ants. Often dismissed by those of us who stand many feet above it, the ant exhibits patience and, in doing so, achieves far more than most humans its size. Carrying a single tiny leaf from one side of the path to the other, no matter the obstacles or amount of time, it continued. “It just goes forward, trusting in the ability to overcome every obstacle.”
The embodiment of true patience is finding peace in the process. Instead of pushing ourselves and our ideas at the speed we would prefer, which only leads to more frustration, frustration that is absolutely unavoidable, we slow down, evaluate and adjust our approach.
All the life lessons that allow us to better understand ourselves and the world we live in are presented to us along our journey, if we choose to see them as classroom moments for the acquisition of knowledge. When we practice patience, we put ourselves on the path to wisdom that each of us must see to gain.
There are several examples of the benefits of patience on the world stage right now. As shared above, in the international sports arena, but also in the political and economic arena, and the list goes on.
We strengthen our patience muscles through “active engagement with the present moment.”
Instead of throwing our hands up in anger and worrying about how things aren’t going our way, we engage with intention toward our desired outcome, embodying loving-kindness and integrity. It ensures that we recognize that we are not alone in trying to survive, but also shows our awareness and courage that we have a life to live and that we are best served when we choose not to sit back and passively wait, hoping that what we wish for will actually happen. And, I’ll let you in on a secret (which I have a feeling you probably already know): It’s not through inaction that we’ll see results that improve our lives, bring out our true potential, and take us beyond our wildest dreams to experience. However, misunderstandings arise when we think we have to force our way to our destination. It is the middle way that involves the least friction as well as the greatest enjoyment and best possible outcome for the journey.
Obstacles only become our burdens if we choose to see them that way. Approaching any journey with our true endurance skills prepares us for the reality that twists and turns, even detours will happen, and as long as we don’t turn around and give up (Tadez Pogacar won’t stop racing after the first day of Le Tour because he didn’t win or lead the first stage), we’re more proactive overall as we reach the final position. Peace of mind and invaluable knowledge of how to get through our days more contentedly and successfully (based on our definition of success) and thus enjoy the journey. As we reach the end the end result becomes sweeter and more flavorful.
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