Falling in Love with Patient Action
Many spaces in time can feel like forever. In this modern era, we are working with less patience and less attention span than ever before. Each morning as I descend the stairs in my home, I open the curtains at the landing and peer into my garden where morning glories climb in bloom all summer. I purposefully stop and say aloud, “Stop and smell the flowers.” I take a moment to give into the awe and wonder of the blooms. How they bloom very early in the morning, rain or shine. How they fold themselves closed each afternoon, patiently awaiting their next morning moment. This species’ behavior is perfect, shining in their destiny moments and resting closed and guarded under the baking sun. This species’ behavior is bred inside the seed and it never changes.
How can we gain value from all the time that passes before the water boils?
No one has to kneel and pray on their behalf that they would please, please bloom tomorrow. No one has to coax them in wasted energy to oh my God close each afternoon in protection. They are not confessing to the world how although they’ve bloomed for 28 straight days, they just have no idea how they will do it again tomorrow. They are not complaining how much work it is to unfurl their blooms, then close them, then reopen them. They are not watching the tepid water, awaiting its boil.
Humankind is the only living being that decides how fast things should go. And subsequently, we decide that the waiting period is wasted time that must be filled with something in order to make it valuable. We desire swiftness in all things. And the lack of swiftness causes us angst. How can we gain value from all the time that passes before the water boils? Before the big event? Before our turn at the cash register? Before the doctor reveals our test results? Before we learn whether we got the job, the scholarship, the impregnation, the loan approval, the medical test results, the marriage proposal, the Uber arrival, the everything?
Anxiety is at an all time high. Depression is too. Not daring to oversimplify either of these conditions, but time and patience could be factors as we measure ourselves and our life condition to other’s and where we think we should be right now, at this age. Time and patience are factors when we circularly wonder when will “it” happen for me? When will it finally be my time?
Everyone’s water will boil if left to the right level of heat.
Everyone’s water will boil if left to the right level of heat. No one’s water will boil at too low a heat. There is something each of us must bring to the situation if our water is to boil. But while we wait, we have the gift of time to love and cherish. To learn and grow. To take a seat in gratitude. To not scroll through our phones seeking validation. To look in the mirror and polish what we see. To have a meaningful conversation. To check up on a friend. To write a letter or send a card. To cut your elderly neighbor’s grass. To share a meal. To sit quietly and have a new conversation with yourself. Yoga. Walk. Qi Gong. Meditation. Stroll barefoot through the yard. Memorize a poem. Find a signature joke to tell. Moisturize your skin. Have a glass of water. Plan a dream vacation. Take a ride through the countryside. Shatter the normalcy of your day with a new experience. Window shop to experience beautiful things you have no need to buy. Binge watch a show that makes you laugh your ass off. Watching water boil comes from a place of wanting something to happen fast. Awaiting its boil give us over to the peaceful place of being and acceptance of the way things happen and our natural space between those occurrences.
What will you — what can you do before the water boils?
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