The best magazine
Learn to be Patient and Wait For the Evolution of Life
Early in sobriety, I was encouraged to learn the art of patience, to watch and wait for the evolution of life without forcing it. How does one do that who has raced around and forced everything their whole life? How do I learn to be patient? I was at a loss to know.
Like the patina's growth on the gate, we're asked to be patient while it forms. In this case, we're asked to slow down, to patiently watch and wait as life unfolds. That is not to say we lay idle. Oh, no. We are still asked to take action on those things which come across our path that we are intended to do, that feed our soul. But then we must let go and let life unfold.
How can we take action while we still wait for the evolution of life? The point it, we do take the action, and then we turn our attention to something else, to the next thing that has crossed our path. We wait to see the results of our labor, but we don't stop our lives while we wait. Eventually, life has a way of working itself out, if we can be patient while that occurs.
Sometimes, we may believe that our efforts in one area have been fruitless. Sometimes, it takes days, or even years, for a result of our efforts to be known. Do not be discouraged or go into despair during these times when patience is needed. Know that life will work out to our betterment, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. Let it roll off the moments of time in a natural way. Practice patience while that happens.
How do we know when we are being patient? It's a feeling in our being. It is one of quietness, gentleness. Angst and worry are absent. We can let the results go, without getting wigged out, without that tight feeling in our gut. We know we are being patient about our lives when we can turn our attention to our next endeavor, without angst or regret or wondering.
Do you display patience while you're waiting for the evolution of life?