The Bigger Picture of Patience

Why in the world is patience important in the first place?
How do you have patience when things are out of your control?
How do you have patience when things are in your control, but things are not working out?

Starting this post off with a fun fact about me – Bob Goff is literally my favorite human ever. Like if I could have anyone at my dinner table, dead or alive, it would be Bob Goff no doubt about it and I am beyond upset with myself I went to Pepperdine this summer and didn’t think to reach out to him. That being said, in his book “Love Does” (12/10 recommended to everyone), he brings up the idea that everyone has a bucket and we get to choose what we fill our bucket with, whether that be hope, love, courage, etc. His personal example is filling his bucket with patience. I read this book about a year and a half ago, but his analogy of filling his bucket with patience is something that has really stuck with me. I think everyone could benefit from practicing a little bit more patience in their life. However, patience is incredibly hard to have in 90% of circumstances.

Whenever I think of patience of someone who lacks patience, I imagine a little kid who does not have any experience with it. It is no doubt a characteristic that grows with maturity and age. There comes a point when we can’t be little kids anymore screaming because we are ready to go home from the store right at this second. Patience is a learning tool. It draws us back from the moment in front of us, and it reminds us to take a deep breath and really focus on what is important. It is a reminder of all the good that is to come, even if it does not come in the exact moment we want it to. Patience tells us to take a chill pill, and spend a little bit more time in the waiting, whether that be to gain clarity as to what we really want and are working for, or to grow a little bit more so we are truly ready for what we desire.

Patience is hard in every circumstance. As human beings, we want what we want when we want it, and there is no way around that really. It can really be challenging when things are out of our control. When we find ourselves in a circumstance where someone else holds the cards from where we go from there, it can be difficult to have patience. It feels like there is nothing you can do except wait for what you are hoping for. It can be a tricky feeling to conquer, but someone once told me there is joy in the waiting. It is a time for growth, a time for reflection, and a time to really put your head down and work hard until the opportunity is given to you. I have had to practice this one a lot lately – 2 ACL tears in one year, the second rehab tends to go a little slower than the first one, no matter how strong and normal everything feels. I am reminded daily to slow my roll, which frustrates the heck out of me, but I am learning to fill my bucket with patience. Everyone ends up in a situation where they feel powerless; have patience and find joy and growth in the waiting.

From an internal perspective, having patience with life in general poses a different kind of challenge. Things are in your control, but that does not always mean things will turn out exactly how we think they should. It can feel like you are working really hard towards something, and are not seeing any sort of results. It can feel like two steps forward and eleven steps back on some days. Patience is key here to remember the essence of timing. To remember things will come to fruition when the time is right. Having patience is seeing the big picture instead of just the here and now. It is essential to keep working towards that goal, towards that dream, but be encouraged in the waiting. It is not a reflection of you, or how strong you are, but rather a reflection of what the bigger plan for life is. Be grateful for the waiting – patience is needed when the world wants to show you something bigger than you.

Optimistic thought of the day: Do not underestimate the contagiousness of positivity. A smile, a random act of kindness, a compliment, they all go way further than you could ever think! Bring positivity to someone today, and see how it transforms your life, too.