Patience Begins in the Present Moment
Finding Peace While Life Unfolds In Its Own Timing
Many of us think of Patience as something we are forced to endure.
As children, we wanted what we wanted, and we wanted it now. We’ve grown older, but the tendency for that impatience still remains, alive and well: We want answers now. We want results now. We want certainty now.
We want to know what’s next NOW. We think that knowing will give us control over the haphazard events arising in life. Perhaps that is one reason we dislike hearing the words, “Just be patient.”
We live in a culture that values speed, productivity, and instant gratification. There is constant pressure to accomplish more, respond faster, and move on to the next thing. In all that rushing, we often miss what is right in front of our eyes.
Patience invites us to slow down enough to reside in the present moment, our mind not somewhere in an imaginary future.
It reminds us that life unfolds in its own timing.
That does not mean doing nothing.
What we can do is release the pressure that comes from demanding that life be different from what it is right now, or somehow better in an imagined future.
Years ago, I created a practice called “The Speedy Method to Slow Down” especially for people who often told me they don’t have time to meditate. Actually, we really do not need a lot of time to meditate/ to become present. My method is simple. It only takes about 2 minutes and merely requires that you give yourself permission to pause.
I would ask: “Where is the quietest, most private place in your home or office where nobody is likely to disturb you?”
The answer: It is the bathroom. Yes, seriously. There is even a place to sit comfortably.
So, seated, take five slow, mindful cycles of breath. Those few breaths can interrupt the momentum of an overactive mind and create enough space to notice what is happening within. Enjoy this. You have accessed what supports patience—release of thinking thinking thinking.
Where is the impatience now?
Chances are that you have momentarily relieved yourself of “having to know now” naturally and without effort.
What seemed so urgent just moments ago may no longer feel quite as demanding.
Notice what is happening in the body. Is it more relaxed? Have the shoulders dropped? Has breathing become easier?
There is science behind this simple practice.
Slow, mindful breathing helps activate the body’s relaxation response, reducing tension and encouraging the nervous system to return to a more balanced state. What many wisdom traditions have taught for centuries, modern research now supports. A few conscious breaths can change both how we feel and how we respond.
Through this small practice, you are developing access to more patience.
Patience conserves energy that is drained when we demand a different timeline, pace, or outcome than the one actually unfolding before us.
You have created greater clarity, balance and ease for yourself, and possibly even a different vantage point from which to view other possibilities for your situation.
There is no shame in feeling impatient. It is part of being human.
But, you have the ability to address it and release negative effects on your overall sense of well-being.
No Shame. No Blame. Just awareness. Return to the breath—Return to Here/Now—and allow life to reveal what comes next, naturally.
This is what Thriving is all about.
If you’d like support finding greater clarity, balance, and ease in your own life, I offer a free 20-minute conversation by phone.
