Making peace with… patience!

“Patience is power.

Patience is not an absence of action;

rather it is “timing”

it waits on the right time to act,

for the right principles

and in the right way.”

― Fulton J. Sheen

Some say; “only good comes to those who wait”! This statement might be true, and I hold hopes that it is, but damn this waiting business is trying. So I will let you in on a secret Nakeds… one of the biggest tests that I struggle with is, you guessed it… patience.

When I was a young girl, I was extremely patient (well I like to think so anyway – no need to ask mum!). But I was also extremely reserved, an introvert and an over-achiever…. hmmmm! Then as time passed and I got older, the patience trait started flying out the proverbial window! I became one of those teenagers that wanted to jump into life straight away. I had no time for study after school; I wanted to go and LIVE! And I did just that… I jumped on the express train and threw myself into living, earning and succeeding.

Then I turned into one of those ‘working girls’… no, I don’t mean a lady of the night, I mean one of those girls that lived through her work, who became a perfectionist, who strived to be the very best version of herself and to show those that I worked with that I was more than what my ‘title’ deemed me to be.

Then, as with most things, when one does them well… they get bored. Impatience with work, surroundings and others grew. It’s odd how we get frustrated and blow a fuse at everything… and nothing all at once. I remember when I was living in London, I became one of those ‘worker ants’! You know; the ones with the head down, on a journey from A to B, getting frustrated with other commuters, with late trains, missing the tube (though there was always one coming in 2 minutes anyway!) and becoming grumpy…! And here’s the worst part; I remember telling people when I was grumpy. I wasn’t shy in telling others what I thought…! How ugly.

One day, one of my closest friends brought me a book called “Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of Everyday Life (or six good reasons to stay at home and bolt the door)” by Lynne Truss. It’s a pretty funny read! And of course it was a gift in jest and a replication of the lives that we lived in London! But only now as I sit in my current situation, do I have the time to reflect and really consider how bad my impatience must have been all that time ago… and even so, until recently.

Why? Why was I like this?

At the time, I had no worries to really be stressed about – I was living life! I was travelling and I was having so much fun! But what was I in such a hurry for…? To get to work… blah, doubt it! Why was I so grumpy with life, or was I? Or did I just replicate the energy of those around me?

Even though I am throwing out all these questions, I do not seek answers to them but rather I shout them out to the virtual world in recognition of each of them. To acknowledge is to allow your mind to move forward.

Facing a terminal diagnosis challenges patience to a whole new level because instead of the everyday ups and downs that we deal with, there are other challenges that now test me; waiting for results, waiting for access to clinical treatments, waiting for appointments, waiting for the mind to rest and waiting for the peace to flow over.

And… so begins my relationship where I make peace with patience.

Let’s agree, as frustrating as patience is, it is pretty powerful. It’s how we deal with patience, whether we choose to welcome it or fight it that we truly see how we deal with the challenges that life throws us!

So let’s make a pact Nakeds! When you find yourself in a moment of frustration or waiting anxiously for an answer or an outcome; stop and remember the steps that got your where you are… breathe; acknowledge each step, reward yourself for the wins, take note of the losses… and then let anxiety flow over and make peace with patience. And in the moments that you feel like you are challenged, know that you are not alone because I will be working through my battles with patience right there with you!

With love, light and acknowledgment xxx