Mindfulness in Practice: Patience

Having grown up in a farming community, fall for me is reminiscent of visiting my grandparent's farm, and the process of picking corn and gathering beans from the fields. After the crops were harvested, the soil was prepared for the next season. In the springtime the ground was then cultivated to make it ready to receive new seeds and foster growth for the next crop.

In the above article we talked about impulsiveness: when we react to situations based on established patterns of thoughts or feelings.  For example, when we blurt out what we are thinking without censoring our thoughts and say things we later regret. This article focuses on patience: acting (not reacting) to current situations with a sense of wisdom that recognizes it is not necessary to have the last word or give advice that wasn't asked for in the first place. Patience is that elusive character trait that is ideal in theory and yet oh so difficult to practice! Like my Grandfather, who cultivated the soil year after year in anticipation of the next growing season, we can train our minds to cultivate patience in preparation for situations yet to come.

The cultivator was a tool used by my grandfather each spring to remove weeds that had started to take over, giving the crops a much better opportunity to grow and be fruitful.

When we practice mindfulness, we cultivate the opportunity to grow and be more fruitful. When faced with frustrations, instead of returning to the well-worn path of impatience or impulsiveness, we can redirect our minds, back to the present moment, and allow things to unfold at their own pace.  By doing this, we are cultivating the practice of taking each moment as it comes and allowing things to emerge in their own time. 

I witnessed patience in my grandfather through the art of farming. He had to patiently plant the crops, and then patiently wait for the crops to mature. Oftentimes, patience was also required in waiting for the weather to cooperate long enough to get in the fields to plant or harvest.  Now I am sure he didn't know he was being mindful, yet he gave me a positive example of what it means to be patient.

The art of mindfulness is developing the patience to accept a situation for what it is, rather than focusing on how you think it should be. What are areas do you need patience in? Do you need to give yourself permission to grieve a loss, or perhaps persevere through a hardship? Whatever you are feeling, is what you are feeling. Being mindfully patient means you do not force yourself to be where you are not ready to be; just as the corn and soybeans cannot be forced to grow. 

Cultivate patience and you may very well develop a calmer disposition.