Patience: More than a Virtue

There’s an old cliche that says “good things come to those who wait” or some version of that. Despite what we’re told, patience seems like something that is difficult to find these days. We’re in such a hurry to get where we’re going that we forget how short this life is and how quickly it passes us by. It’s amazing when you think about it how much easier and more fulfilling life becomes when you slow down and try to enjoy the steps from where you are to where you’re going. Nothing in this world can replace a little patience when reaching for your goals.

Humans are walking ironies. Despite being inherently imperfect creatures, I think everyone has a perfectionist side to them; me included. It is this constant pursuit of perfection that pulls our focus from the present, causing us to constantly look forward to what’s next or back at previous mistakes. The more we look forward to the future we want–or the one we think we deserve–the more we lose sight of what’s in front of us, causing an unintended but inevitable deviation from the path we thought we were on. It’s a similar concept to not really listening to someone speak because you’re focused on how you’re going to respond. We end up being so focused on what we don’t have that we lose track of where we’re going.

I’ve written many times about the mistakes I’ve made that have set me back in life and how I would put pressure on myself to succeed quickly to make up for those mistakes. That pressure caused me to make more mistakes leading to more failures. It’s a vicious cycle that turns into that proverbial snowball and runs you over as you try to outrun it. After being floored by said snowball, it is human nature to dust yourself off and make up for lost time. As it took me far too long to learn, time is the one thing you can never get back.

Success is the finish line at the end of a road of failure. If what you’re doing is worth it to you, you have to be willing to fail. As of this writing, I have yet to gain a following on this blog other than a few loyal supporters and one follower that stumbled upon my page and stuck around. Whichever category you fit into; I thank you sincerely. I’m still learning how to do this correctly. It is in the frustration and failure in this labor of love that I’ve created that I’ve learned the value of patience. I’ve failed multiple times in ten plus months of writing this blog. I’m still learning and learning is part of the reward. Stephen King, one of the most prolific writers of our time and my literary idol, once uttered a quote that I think about and smile every time I sit down to write. “If at first you don’t succeed, get a bigger nail.” He was referring to the nail he’d once pounded into his wall to hold the rejection slips that came from magazines and publishers to whom he’d submitted his early work that had become so laden with rejections that it fell out of the wall. Undeterred, Mr. King simply found himself a bigger nail and affixed it to the wall where the previous one had fallen out. While I don’t have the nail overburdened with rejection slips–yet–I am beginning to understand the concept of patience and perseverance I believe that quote was meant to convey. If you enjoy doing something, don’t stop until you’ve either succeeded, don’t feel any more enjoyment, or perhaps both. For me, writing has always provided a meaningful outlet and a sense of escaping the real world that some attribute to reading. As you will have read on the front page of my blog, my goal first and foremost is to provide my reader with whatever benefit they seek, whether that would be entertainment, inspiration, or something to lift them up when they’re down. Money and its acquisition will always be secondary. I bring that up as it pertains to patience because when you stop thinking about financial gains and start thinking more about doing what you enjoy, you are more likely to be patient and see a project through to the end, and thus you are more likely to see a reward. I lost sight of that recently and it caused me to avoid my writing desk for weeks. I suppose things happen for a reason because it also inspired me to put these words on this page at this moment.

No matter what your passion is in life, failure will always be a part of it. Failure necessitates patience. Patience makes it even more worthwhile when you reach the finish line and can revel in your victory. Don’t lose yourself in it though. When you finally taste success, the best thing to do is to press onward. Much like failure, success can snowball too. This snowball, however, is one you will be chasing instead of the other way around. If you’re lucky, there will be a pile of money and recognition at the bottom of the hill when you get there. More importantly than that, you will see your patience rewarded with accomplishment, and that is worth more than any amount of money.

Patience is not an easy skill to learn, especially if it doesn’t exactly come naturally to you. It didn’t come naturally to me, and I am just now finding myself able to fully grasp the concept. Success happens at different times for different people. The key to success and happiness can’t be found in a book. Everyone comes across their own version of success at different times. Never stop pursuing your dreams, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself to succeed. Failure is part of the process. Stay the course, and your patience and perseverance will be rewarded.