Patience\u00a0is a key ingredient in the process of the natural world and in our per-\u00a0sonal world. For instance, if I scrape my arm or break a bone, the healing process\u00a0proceeds precisely at its own pace independent of any opinion I may have about it.\u00a0That is the natural world at work. My desire to have it fixed quickly is of absolutely\u00a0no consequence. If I apply that impatience\u00a0to my personal world, I will prevent it\u00a0from healing thoroughly, as Confucius advised over twenty-five centuries ago.\u00a0Shakespeare matched the wisdom of this ancient Chinese predecessor when he\u00a0wrote, \u201cHow poor are they that have not\u00a0patience! What wound did ever heal but by\u00a0degree?\u201d<\/p>\n
When I was a child, I remember planting some radish seeds in springtime. When early summer arrived I noticed green leafy shoots protruding above the\u00a0ground. I watched them grow a bit taller each day and finally I could stand it no\u00a0longer and I began to tug at those radish shoots, trying to get them to grow faster. I\u00a0had not yet learned that nature reveals its secrets on its own time schedule. As I\u00a0pulled at the little leaves, they emerged from the ground sans radishes, and my\u00a0childish impatience\u00a0to have this thing done quickly prevented it from happening at\u00a0all.<\/p>\n
Now, when I am asked if I am disappointed because one of my books did not\u00a0appear on a best-seller list as my earlier books did, I think of this observation of\u00a0the wise Chinese sage, \u201cGreat things have no fear of time.\u201d What a compliment it is\u00a0to the genius of Confucius that his words are still being quoted and his knowledge\u00a0still being applied twenty-five hundred years after his departure. I too write for\u00a0those souls who have yet to materialize, and if that means sacrificing the small\u00a0advantage of a position of prestige on a list somewhere today, my impatient ego\u00a0may be puzzled, but I am content!
\nThere\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0line\u00a0in\u00a0A\u00a0Course\u00a0in\u00a0Miracles\u00a0that\u00a0perplexes\u00a0anyone\u00a0who\u00a0is\u00a0imprisoned by ego because it appears to be a contradiction. The line reads, \u201cInfinite\u00a0patience\u00a0produces immediate results,\u201d and it echoes the twenty-five-hundred-year-old ad-\u00a0vice that you are reading about here. Infinite\u00a0patience\u00a0describes the condition of\u00a0faith or absolute knowing. If you know with a complete absence of doubt that what\u00a0you are doing is consistent with your own purpose and that you are involved in\u00a0accomplishing a great affair, then you are at peace with yourself and in harmony\u00a0with your own heroic mission. The sense of peace is your immediate result and is a\u00a0state of enlightened bliss. Thus infinite\u00a0patience\u00a0takes you to a level of faith where\u00a0doing things quickly is of no interest. You shift out of the need to see the results\u00a0right now, just as when you know that your cuts, scrapes, and injuries will heal as\u00a0your nature dictates, rather than as your impatient self dictates.<\/p>\n
This kind of knowing has aided me immensely in my writing and in all of my\u00a0life work. With my children, I am not always overly concerned with a test score or a\u00a0subpar performance as it registers in this moment because I can see the bigger pic-\u00a0ture in their lives. As the Oriental proverb, perhaps inspired by the words of Confu-\u00a0cius, says, \u201cWith time and\u00a0patience\u00a0the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown,\u201d so do I think of my children as silk gowns in the making. Certainly we savor the small\u00a0advantages in the here and now. However, I also know that any current setbacks\u00a0will enhance rather than tarnish their greatness.<\/p>\n
Impatience\u00a0breeds fear, stress, and discouragement.\u00a0Patience\u00a0manifests in\u00a0confidence, decisiveness, and a feeling of peaceful satisfaction. As you look at your\u00a0own life, examine how frequently you demand an immediate indicator of success\u00a0for yourself and others and attempt instead to see the larger picture. When you are\u00a0on purpose and see the larger picture, you are able to let go of an inclination to\u00a0seek validation in the form of merit badges and immediate applause.<\/p>\n
My experience with addictions and overcoming them may parallel some of\u00a0your life situations. While still being addicted I would think about quitting the\u00a0addictive substance, such as caffeine or alcohol. Then I would look for a small\u00a0advantage, such as no drinking for one day, and when that was accomplished, I\u00a0would let up on my vigilance and go back to a cola or a beer to celebrate. By looking at my small victories I was preventing the job from being done thoroughly.\u00a0When I developed infinite\u00a0patience\u00a0with myself I turned the whole thing over to God and remembered how perfect God had always been with me, even in my low-\u00a0est moments. By being infinitely patient I could see that toxic substances interfered\u00a0with my highest purpose and life mission, and I left those addictive ways behind\u00a0me.\u00a0Make no mistake about it, all my thoughts about quitting, all my trials and fail-\u00a0ures-those \u201csmall advantages\u201d as Confucius calls them-were part of the process of\u00a0purification. By being patient with myself I could stay patient even with those small\u00a0victories, and thus they did not deter me from my greater accomplishment. I al-\u00a0lowed the process to move at its own pace, and today I can see clearly how getting\u00a0rid of impatience\u00a0gave me the ability to move to a level that I never imagined when\u00a0I kept congratulating myself for my little victories and then retreating back to de-\u00a0feat. If you are appreciating the paradox in this situation, you will enjoy these two\u00a0paradoxical sayings: \u201cInfinite\u00a0patience\u00a0produces immediate results\u201d and \u201cOne day\u00a0at a time produces eternal results.\u201d\u00a0To see the absurdity of impatience\u00a0in your life, set your watch ahead several\u00a0hours and tear off several months on your wall calendar. Then see if you have advanced time! The failures and frustrations, along with the immediate successes,\u00a0are a part and parcel of the perfection of it all. By observing nature\u2014your nature\u00a0and the natural world around you-you will see that you must allow a wound to\u00a0progress at its own pace; to eat a fig you must first let it flower, put forth fruit, and\u00a0ripen. Trust in your nature and let go of your desire to have things done quickly.<\/p>\n
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THE WISDOM OF AGES<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n WAYNE W. DYER<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Patience\u00a0is a key ingredient in the process of the natural world and in our per-\u00a0sonal world. For instance, if I scrape my arm or break a bone, the healing process\u00a0proceeds precisely at its own pace independent of any opinion I may have about it.\u00a0That is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1","rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg",900,609,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg",900,609,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?fit=300%2C203&ssl=1",300,203,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"portfolio-square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=570%2C570&ssl=1",570,570,true],"portfolio-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=600%2C609&ssl=1",600,609,true],"portfolio-landscape":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1",800,600,true],"menu-featured-post":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=345%2C198&ssl=1",345,198,true],"qode-carousel_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=400%2C260&ssl=1",400,260,true],"portfolio_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=500%2C380&ssl=1",500,380,true],"portfolio_masonry_regular":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1",500,500,true],"portfolio_masonry_wide":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=900%2C500&ssl=1",900,500,true],"portfolio_masonry_tall":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=500%2C609&ssl=1",500,609,true],"portfolio_masonry_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"portfolio_masonry_with_space":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?fit=700%2C474&ssl=1",700,474,true],"latest_post_boxes":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=539%2C303&ssl=1",539,303,true],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/post-2184.jpg?resize=100%2C100&ssl=1",100,100,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Philosophy<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Patience\u00a0is a key ingredient in the process of the natural world and in our per-\u00a0sonal world. For instance, if I scrape my arm or break a bone, the healing process\u00a0proceeds precisely at its own pace independent of any opinion I may have about it.\u00a0That is...","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36312"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36312"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36312\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36313,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36312\/revisions\/36313"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}