We all know things take time. Patience is a virtue for a reason. To have patience, especially with oneself requires discipline, awareness, concentration and letting go.
How do you treat yourself while you are working on your dreams? You aren’t there yet but you are walking in the direction of where you want to be. Some examples:
You don’t have the body that you have been working towards.
You don’t have the career or money that you have been striving for.
You don’t have the house, clothes, relationship or dog that you’ve always dreamed of.
How do you treat yourself if you feel that you aren’t where you want to be? Do you treat yourself with kindness, appreciation for the work you are doing? Are you counting your blessings and expressing gratitude for the steps that you are taking? Can you be proud of yourself for where you currently are in the process?
So many questions! I don’t have the answers but I feel many of us have the same questions. Life feels hardwired to want more, do more, expect more. There are billions of people on this planet who are working hard at something that they consider valuable.
In Yoga, we focus a lot on the mind. While it seems Yoga is just a physical practice for the body, it is rooted in working the mind. The body is listening to the mind so if your mind can’t find contentment, gratitude, happiness, joy, acceptance, your body feels all your emotions. Emotions are energy in motion.
When we find ourselves tilting too much to one side and in need of balance, especially for the mind, this is a powerful moment. We might focus too much on the outcome and then miss out on where we are at.
Your life is happening now. Your choices you make today show up in your life tomorrow.
If we don’t have what we are desiring yet, then can we still be proud of the steps that we are taking to get there? Can we develop more patience and acceptance for our actions so we can appreciate the work that we are doing?
Practicing patience is acknowledging that your life is a continuous flow. The future version of us relies on the person we are today. If we keep feeding the mental chatter that we can’t do it, we aren’t doing it, we don’t have it, then the frustration and envy come in. If we learn patience, contentment and being okay with what we have in this moment, then there is a sense of balance for the body and mind.
Things take time. Your dreams will take time. Do your best in the process to enjoy each step. Before you know it, you will reach your destination.
Make sure you find joy along the way.
