Developing patience in times of uncertainty
Three simple practices that are working for me
I have always been impatient.
And approached things as a mean to an end.
In order to receive some sort of short-term reward.
I must have been 12 year old when my mother asked me to teach her how to use a computer.
We had a Compaq Presario, whose home screen resembled the main square of a small town, with a fountain in the middle.
Very advanced technology at the time ;)
We sat together at the desk for a couple of sessions over a few days.
She even paid me in exchange for help.
And, even so, I quickly lost patience.
Fast forward 20+ years, developing patience is still my biggest challenge.
Even more so in times of high uncertainty, while working on long-term projects.
Which require to figure out the direction during the journey, not before starting it.
And to face unexpected events and adversities, while still enjoying the ride.
Developing patience implies calm, trust, and a certain degree of faith that things will turn out well.
It requires to accept that “wasting time” is allowed.
And that, at the end of the day, life is “wasting time”.
So, how do I develop patience?
I have asked myself this question for a while, and identified three practices that are currently assisting me.
I. The first practice is to be present in what I do. “When I bike, just bike”. “When I walk, just walk”. “When I write, just write”. Be present in all the small actions I do. Be grounded. To become more calm. And in tune with the flow of events.
II. The second practice is to listen. Having faith that replies will come from people1. From nature. From observation. To slow down my thoughts and give total attention to the person in front of me, getting lost in the experience.
III. The third practice is to give myself the time to develop patience! To have faith that I can become patient ;) Remembering I do not need to approach life as a problem to solve, but rather allow myself to be surprised by what is going to come.
To quote the music band Tool:
“If there were no rewards to reap, no loving embrace to see me through, this tedious path I have chosen here, I certainly would have walked away, by now. And I still may” (The Patient)
I want to believe that future rewards await all of us in our life journey.
And that patience is a powerful tool to make sure we enjoy the ride.
Have a patient, kind journey.
— Livio
27/07/2022
P.s.: I am sharing my experience on making decisions in times of high uncertainty. Like this article to subscribe and follow my journey ;)
Patience is a valuable trait.