The light of patience
A little sunlight breaks through stubborn clouds on Thursday in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
When venturing out to take photos, I often find the sunshine hangs around for a while, as if to provide ample time for me to line up the perfect picture. Not so today, when I stepped outside into a mostly cloudy afternoon. The sun was looking to retire early, but I was determined. I hung around, walked for a bit. After what seemed like a long 7 or 8 minutes, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds just long enough to provide the perspective I needed.
At face value, that seems like a simple problem with a simple answer. But even behind a short experience like this, lies an important virtue: patience. Even when circumstances change and immediate solutions escape us, that quality helps us focus on moving forward. We may not find exactly what we need right away, but with patience and calm footsteps, we can look for different angles, different approaches, to move the situation closer to the needed solution.
That is not to say patience is the same as doing nothing. It is often paired with specific action, and acts as both a rudder and a shield for thought. Patience helps us maintain a calm, steady focus on the proper path toward the eventual solution, while also keeping discouraging thoughts at bay with poise. It's a mental "deep breath", sometimes combined with an actual deep breath.
Regardless of how it shows up in our experience, patience always carries that steadying influence, helping us stay on even ground as we proceed down the path of life. The best part: That calm focus leaves the door open to that one insight, that one spark, we might need to move forward in the best manner. Isn't it something, how it always comes about at the perfect moment, just when we need it? With that, patience ushers in lasting feelings of fulfillment, wholeness and progress. And it lights the way toward experiencing more of the same, the next time we're looking for that perfect angle.
— Gareth Henderson
