CHANGE vs. PATIENCE
17
MARCH, 2017
Being patient with yourself.
I am not a patient person by nature. I am an “A” type personality; patience is not one of my super powers. Therefore I have recently decided to check myself into Patience Rehab. The first step is always admitting you have a problem. It is not so much of a problem, because it serves me well. In many instances it has even saved lives (but that is another story). You see, I have a theory…… wait for it. Be patient.
Oh God who am I kidding. Here you go. There’s a four year old child lurking inside of me. No seriously. I have only recently acknowledged and accepted my little problem child. I try to speak with him in a calm and soothing voice, saying “hey buddy it’s okay, you can be impatient sometimes, but don’t stomp around in a huff when it doesn’t turn out the way you wanted it to.” Sometimes it works, sometimes it less so, but at least I am more aware of his existence and that’s a start.
Being patient while change arrives.
If “change” was pizza delivery….. I would get take out. If I know change is on the horizon I get antsy, anxious and yes you guessed it impatient. I just want it to arrive. Like summer break or the next season of Game of Thrones. The most difficult time is right after I have made a decision. I want to start moving. The next chapter, the next big thing.
But there is a problem with moving so quick and being impatient. You are so fixated on the upcoming events that you tend to miss the details of where you are right now. I have to remind myself that I am living my own current events and not to ignore or worse yet, see these events as an inconvenience while I move towards change. It is in the here and now that we have our life experience.
“Stay patient and trust your journey.”
– ANONYMOUS –
Acknowledge and accept what you can and cannot change.
I sometimes find myself getting worked up about something I know I have no control over. Why? Why on earth would I waste time and energy fixating on situations that I have no control over?
Time for self-reflection. I think it is because we inherently need to feel like we have control. If you are not in control, does that mean you are out of control? Just a thought.
I feel the best just after I have just cleaned my house, enjoyed a nice meal with a nice glass of wine and listened to some of my favorite music. I am just trying to control my environment, I am attempting to dictate the rules of engagement with my surroundings, a moment in time in which I have control. However, the more I try to control of my environment the more areas of my life it affects. It seems to filter into all other aspects of my life and becomes a bit overwhelming. I am working on less control and more acceptance. I am realizing that it is not a matter of control that empowers you, but rather the attitude you have during the times you fell out of control. Surrounded by the chaos. It is a work in progress.
I am trying to let go (a little bit) and swim with the current and spend less time swimming upstream. I am learning to let go of my control freakishness. For me, I equate being out of control with being lost. What I have discovered is the best part of being lost is being found again.
“We make the best decisions we can with the information we have at the time.”
– KIRK & JEN –
Make a choice and trust in yourself.
We all know change is a constant. Sometimes we have a hand in the change, other times it is dictated to us. Either way, change generally comes with a series of choices. Ones of action (my favorite kind) or inaction (yes, doing nothing is a choice). The decisions we make have consequences and we need to learn how to accept them.
I am what I would call a “What If” person. I tend to dwell on the other choice, the one that got away. I am what I would classify as a “Buyers Remorse” decision maker. Again, I am working on this aspect of my journey. This generally occurs after a decision didn’t yield the outcome I wanted or expected. During these moments I lament about what could have been, if only I had chosen differently. In these times, my wife will say “yes, it could have been better, but it could have been worse.”
My advice, embrace change because it will happen with or without your blessing. Try to do your best to navigate the seas of change and know you are doing your best.
As I close out my blog post I would like to continue with my tradition of signing off with a song.
KEWEL ©2017
Lost and Found
Are you in your late 30's or 40's and thinking back on how exactly you wound up in the career you are in today? Chances are if you are like me, you took the safe path. You were told to get a job with benefits, a retirement plan and not rock the boat. Work your way up. Move up the corporate ladder. Just work hard and when you are done, retire.
Yup, you played it safe and now, you are questioning what you are doing and where you are going?
Let me ask you, do you remember when you were excited about life's possibilities? When you believed you could do anything. Do you ever wonder what happened? When did you lose touch with your passion? Have you given up on your hopes and dreams? Or, have they simply gone astray.
Sign up to for the Stop the Pity Party. Restart Your Passion 7 Day Change Challenge and begin to rekindle your passion. Reclaim your beliefs to create the life you have the responsibility to live. A life of fulfillment, possibility, wonder, and passion.