Blog

They say good things come to those who wait, presumably based on the idea that patience is a virtue. Perhaps those good things were created by those who got off their ass and created something for themselves. What if I asked you to consider practical impatience as an aspirational goal?

There are those who blaze trails and those that pave them. Both are important talents that rely on certain inherent skills and abilities specific to one’s satisfaction with their immediate surroundings. Yoga is a multi-layered framework designed to help relieve suffering, helping the practitioner to develop a skill set for teaching themselves how to heal through mindful movement. No matter if it is physical, mental, or spiritual; a large part of this journey comes when accurately assessing one’s present situation and figuring out the best way to gracefully transcend.

Naturally, this takes both time and effort. Patience is the quality of the relationship between the two, coming in two forms: active and passive. Passive patience is as simple as it sounds– the art of allowing a situation to run it’s course, to watch something grow from start to finish (or at least for a portion thereof). This could be as simple as waiting in line or being caught in traffic. This type of patience holds space for nature to run it’s course.

Sometimes the universe conspires, and for others we must be the divine hand of God (or source or whatever you believe in). Welcome to the idea of active patience– maintaining a level head, moving with conviction, and marking the proper steps to Take Care of Business. In this iteration, the experience comes from applied effort in a prolonged struggle. Dedication, perseverance, and complete ownership of one’s actions are needed for this level of patience to endure.

A few years ago, I started a two year master’s program on Transformative Leadership. During a meeting with my appointed mentor at the end of my first year, I was asked the perfunctory question “how are you enjoying this program?” Reflecting back upon all of the study, group work, and detailed projects, I offered the best answer possible: It’s absolutely comprehensive, and I quit.

Understandably, he was surprised. “Have patience,” he said, “this will all start coming together for you soon.”

It already has, I replied. You’ve asked us to study all of the great leaders throughout history, find out what made them tick and how they came about their ways. Not one of them studied how to lead, they just went out and led. With all due respect, any more patience here takes me away from valuable time I could be spending having patience somewhere more impactful.

He let me walk out, never to see each other again. No harm, no foul. Patience isn’t just knowing when not to act or react, but believing in and owning the entire process of your actions from start to finish. Make sure you’re fully committed to harvesting the crops before you sow the seeds. Otherwise, you’re just putting a down payment on resentment because those fields ain’t gonna water themselves.

by: Daniel Scott – Yogi Provocateur

Blaze a trail with Daniel Scott this Summer in at Udaya Live, Yoga and Music Festival in Borovets, Bulgaria… but don’t wait passively (or actively) to the last minute to buy your tickets. Plane fights increase as the months get closer!

 

Write Your Comment

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.