“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy
Is this a war of words?
At first glance, they seem inseparable, yet they are cast in very different molds. Timing is ‘the specific moment when something happens’, while patience, is about time. We have all lived through a wait and understand the emotional regulation that entails. Think of it as calmly waiting for a seed to sprout.
Whether or not we wish to admit it, timing holds much significance for so many of us.
Time is right, seize this moment, time is of essence, in a timely manner… and the more we long for something, the more it seems to retreat the harder we chase it. Consider how unwelcome events thrust themselves into our lives… the chicken pox before a vacation and that undeniably ‘thorn in the side’ email from someone, as you settle into a good read. Especially aggravating is their timely appearance.
Does water boil faster when you are watching? Maybe the greatest delays are not imposed by life at all. Life rarely arrives late. More often, it arrives when our hearts have finally caught up.
One day, when we least expect it
…someone or something shows up that aligns, resonates or wants to teach us something that ‘we did not know we did not know’ about ourselves. Like a mirror, it reflects in us that which we do not wish to see. Until we look at it for what it is, the very thing we are anxiously waiting for will patiently wait until we are ready to meet ourselves.
Perhaps timing isn’t about waiting for life to be ready for us. I’m beginning to believe it’s about becoming ready for life. Looking back, I’ve come to realize that every time I thought life was delaying me, it was quietly preparing me.
Are we there… in our healing?
Are we there… emotionally?
Are we there… in our readiness?
Ponder this. The next time you find yourself asking, “Am I there yet? Maybe the better question is, “Who am I becoming, while I wait?” Then look into the mirror, not to judge what you see, but to recognize the person who has unashamedly been preparing for this moment all along.
Circumstances may align differently when we finally see ourselves as the beautiful beings we already are.
The only impossible journey is the one you never begin. – Tony Robbins
