If you had asked me a month ago, how I would define being impatient, I would have looked at it at a very shallow level. Like, when the interstate becomes a parking lot, or when you are trying to get something done at work, but keep getting interrupted. I may not have mastered the art of patience yet, but I at least have a deeper, and more meaningful understanding of it. I have learned that having an understanding of something is a huge part of the process of working past it.
For one, we as humans have very unrealistic expectations as far as how long we think it will take us to accomplish something. Whether it's getting into shape, starting your own business, or becoming a good person, and finding love, we all think it should happen in a much shorter amount of time than it actually will. And, we get very discouraged when we don't see the results we want, in the time we expect it. Part of being patient is knowing that good things take time. They take work, and lots of dedication and persistence. I used to get really frustrated with my quest to grow as a person. It used to feel like no matter what changes I made, or what issues I was working on, I never made any progress. But, I've learned that because my long term goal is worth it, I'm still going to keep growing, and changing, and moving forward. After all, all big successes are made up of thousands of little steps.
I am extremely impatient when it comes to other people... especially when they are standing in the way of something I want. Unfortunately, I'm also very set in my ways, and I like things the way I like them, which most likely just exacerbates the problem. Instead of looking at what these people are doing, I need to look at their intention. For example, in my office there is always leftover food from client lunch meetings. I have a co-worker who will sometimes pick up a cookie or brownie for me while getting one for herself. One way to look at this is that my co-worker is trying to sabotage my attempt to eat healthier, but in actuality, she's just trying to do something nice and thoughtful.
While doing my research on patience I had a bit of an "aha!" moment. In my last relationship, I would do anything to get my ex to stop getting on me for things. In hindsight it's very easy to see that he was trying to get me to stop doing the things that were sabotaging our relationship. However, all I saw at the time, was the nagging and the insults. And, because my goal was to stop being nagged, and not improve as a person, I took a lot of shortcuts, and cut a lot of corners. Anything to get the quick result I was looking for! But, all I was doing was keeping myself in the same spot. I wasn't growing at all. I was simply looking for a quick fix. And, I think we all know that doesn't work. I chuckle and shake my head now when I think about it. It was like I was running in place. There was lot of effort, with absolutely no productivity. It wasn't until I started doing yoga (my moving meditation) that I really started to find something that gave me that small, little twinge of relief. It had a calming effect, I felt more connected to my body, and I become more in touch with my feelings, and was able to more accurately identify the truth in situations. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that doing yoga is the sole to solution to anyone's problems, but for me... it was the first itsy-bitsy, tiny, baby step that I needed to move me forward to where I am today. Through yoga, I saw a tiny glimpse of the happiness, peace, and self-love that I so badly needed. So, when you find something that gives you that feeling, you know you're on the right track. 😊
Learning about patience also helped me to ultimately see the bigger picture when it comes to practicing yoga. Yes, it gets me into shape, and being a former dancer, I love stretching and the feeling of being flexible again. However, I believe the real purpose of yoga is to train yourself to be patient, fully present, and work through things that feel uncomfortable. First of all, some days it takes a lot of dedication, and a strong will to even get on the mat. It may not look super strenuous, but it's definitely not easy, and I usually don't want to commit to a 30 minute workout. The poses may hurt, and I feel uncomfortable a lot of the time, but by breathing through the discomfort, I'm able to look past what I'm feeling at that moment and focus on what I actually need to do. I think I've finally learned the meaning behind taking your yoga practice off your mat, and using it in everyday life.
For one, we as humans have very unrealistic expectations as far as how long we think it will take us to accomplish something. Whether it's getting into shape, starting your own business, or becoming a good person, and finding love, we all think it should happen in a much shorter amount of time than it actually will. And, we get very discouraged when we don't see the results we want, in the time we expect it. Part of being patient is knowing that good things take time. They take work, and lots of dedication and persistence. I used to get really frustrated with my quest to grow as a person. It used to feel like no matter what changes I made, or what issues I was working on, I never made any progress. But, I've learned that because my long term goal is worth it, I'm still going to keep growing, and changing, and moving forward. After all, all big successes are made up of thousands of little steps.
I am extremely impatient when it comes to other people... especially when they are standing in the way of something I want. Unfortunately, I'm also very set in my ways, and I like things the way I like them, which most likely just exacerbates the problem. Instead of looking at what these people are doing, I need to look at their intention. For example, in my office there is always leftover food from client lunch meetings. I have a co-worker who will sometimes pick up a cookie or brownie for me while getting one for herself. One way to look at this is that my co-worker is trying to sabotage my attempt to eat healthier, but in actuality, she's just trying to do something nice and thoughtful.
While doing my research on patience I had a bit of an "aha!" moment. In my last relationship, I would do anything to get my ex to stop getting on me for things. In hindsight it's very easy to see that he was trying to get me to stop doing the things that were sabotaging our relationship. However, all I saw at the time, was the nagging and the insults. And, because my goal was to stop being nagged, and not improve as a person, I took a lot of shortcuts, and cut a lot of corners. Anything to get the quick result I was looking for! But, all I was doing was keeping myself in the same spot. I wasn't growing at all. I was simply looking for a quick fix. And, I think we all know that doesn't work. I chuckle and shake my head now when I think about it. It was like I was running in place. There was lot of effort, with absolutely no productivity. It wasn't until I started doing yoga (my moving meditation) that I really started to find something that gave me that small, little twinge of relief. It had a calming effect, I felt more connected to my body, and I become more in touch with my feelings, and was able to more accurately identify the truth in situations. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that doing yoga is the sole to solution to anyone's problems, but for me... it was the first itsy-bitsy, tiny, baby step that I needed to move me forward to where I am today. Through yoga, I saw a tiny glimpse of the happiness, peace, and self-love that I so badly needed. So, when you find something that gives you that feeling, you know you're on the right track. 😊
Learning about patience also helped me to ultimately see the bigger picture when it comes to practicing yoga. Yes, it gets me into shape, and being a former dancer, I love stretching and the feeling of being flexible again. However, I believe the real purpose of yoga is to train yourself to be patient, fully present, and work through things that feel uncomfortable. First of all, some days it takes a lot of dedication, and a strong will to even get on the mat. It may not look super strenuous, but it's definitely not easy, and I usually don't want to commit to a 30 minute workout. The poses may hurt, and I feel uncomfortable a lot of the time, but by breathing through the discomfort, I'm able to look past what I'm feeling at that moment and focus on what I actually need to do. I think I've finally learned the meaning behind taking your yoga practice off your mat, and using it in everyday life.
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