"Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting-- that is laziness.
But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience."
Patience-- it's something that's come up a lot with experiences in the teaching program I'm doing. I'm not quite sure why it is exactly, but almost everyone I have come across has such an intolerance for having to wait... for anything. They have problems with waiting for a lagger, problems with waiting for a drink or a table or food, problems with waiting for a metro train, and most importantly (i think), problems with waiting for students. So many of the people in my program cannot tolerate a slow learner or a class that does not comprehend; so many will not put up with a colleague who does not follow, or one who does not speak just as fast.
I'm not quite sure why, but it's become an issue for me. I like to think that I'm a pretty patient person, but I know I can be impatient at times. The thing is, having been with these people for a while, I realized just how important patience is. Patience can mean starting a night off on a good note instead of a sour one; it can mean a student being able to catch up and finally understand instead of feeling stupid and inadequate; it can mean one's will being strengthened instead of being broken; it can mean settling for less when you know you deserve more.
This whole late-night thought has been brought to motion by a good friend's recent acceptance into Pharmacy School. Regina planned her life out so perfectly, and when things didn't exactly go according to plan, instead of just giving up and settling for less, she pushed through and held on-- waited-- for an entire year. While some people may have thought it crazy to wait one year, to put your life on hold just because you won't take 'no' for an answer, because you want and believe you deserve more-- she didn't care. And all that waiting, all that doubt, all that happened or didn't happen in that one year, everything, was worth it because she finally got what she deserved. And I find that so refreshing, so amazing, so brave-- to put your belief into something so wholeheartedly and simply wait, have patience, have faith--and actually see it through to the point of affirmation. How great is it when active patience is duly rewarded?
This is going into a weird direction, but I guess I just want to recognize the power of patience. So often you hear people talking about being proactive and being aggressive, but I've always been more the kind of person who mulls over something forever on end before making a move. Sometimes-- or often times-- people tell me it's a terrible thing to do, to wait for so long instead of doing something right away to achieve quick results. What most people fail to understand is that I'm not just floating along aimlessly anymore-- I have a destination, finally. And while my life for the past few months has not been the most exciting, exhilarating, or most profitable thing ever, it is a life that is lived in steady motion on a course set for a mark that I believe is worth all this wait.
I know I'm not making bank or rank or garnering any accomplished titles or fame with the things I'm doing, but as I learned from my teaching mentor, after all is said and done, no matter how great or how seemingly insignificant a lesson, if the aim is achieved, then nothing else matters. I aim to make a difference somehow, and if that means that things have to be steadily tough for quite a while, then I will hold on for as long as it takes to see this course through. When it comes to things that really matter, when the outcome really rings throughout the heart, I firmly believe that patience is a gift, and that it is always always worth the wait.
Be patient with the course on which you are sailing; the winds and tide will change soon enough. For now, while you can, enjoy the ride-- however fast or slow it may be.
But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience."
Patience-- it's something that's come up a lot with experiences in the teaching program I'm doing. I'm not quite sure why it is exactly, but almost everyone I have come across has such an intolerance for having to wait... for anything. They have problems with waiting for a lagger, problems with waiting for a drink or a table or food, problems with waiting for a metro train, and most importantly (i think), problems with waiting for students. So many of the people in my program cannot tolerate a slow learner or a class that does not comprehend; so many will not put up with a colleague who does not follow, or one who does not speak just as fast.
I'm not quite sure why, but it's become an issue for me. I like to think that I'm a pretty patient person, but I know I can be impatient at times. The thing is, having been with these people for a while, I realized just how important patience is. Patience can mean starting a night off on a good note instead of a sour one; it can mean a student being able to catch up and finally understand instead of feeling stupid and inadequate; it can mean one's will being strengthened instead of being broken; it can mean settling for less when you know you deserve more.
This whole late-night thought has been brought to motion by a good friend's recent acceptance into Pharmacy School. Regina planned her life out so perfectly, and when things didn't exactly go according to plan, instead of just giving up and settling for less, she pushed through and held on-- waited-- for an entire year. While some people may have thought it crazy to wait one year, to put your life on hold just because you won't take 'no' for an answer, because you want and believe you deserve more-- she didn't care. And all that waiting, all that doubt, all that happened or didn't happen in that one year, everything, was worth it because she finally got what she deserved. And I find that so refreshing, so amazing, so brave-- to put your belief into something so wholeheartedly and simply wait, have patience, have faith--and actually see it through to the point of affirmation. How great is it when active patience is duly rewarded?
This is going into a weird direction, but I guess I just want to recognize the power of patience. So often you hear people talking about being proactive and being aggressive, but I've always been more the kind of person who mulls over something forever on end before making a move. Sometimes-- or often times-- people tell me it's a terrible thing to do, to wait for so long instead of doing something right away to achieve quick results. What most people fail to understand is that I'm not just floating along aimlessly anymore-- I have a destination, finally. And while my life for the past few months has not been the most exciting, exhilarating, or most profitable thing ever, it is a life that is lived in steady motion on a course set for a mark that I believe is worth all this wait.
I know I'm not making bank or rank or garnering any accomplished titles or fame with the things I'm doing, but as I learned from my teaching mentor, after all is said and done, no matter how great or how seemingly insignificant a lesson, if the aim is achieved, then nothing else matters. I aim to make a difference somehow, and if that means that things have to be steadily tough for quite a while, then I will hold on for as long as it takes to see this course through. When it comes to things that really matter, when the outcome really rings throughout the heart, I firmly believe that patience is a gift, and that it is always always worth the wait.
Be patient with the course on which you are sailing; the winds and tide will change soon enough. For now, while you can, enjoy the ride-- however fast or slow it may be.
