There have been hundreds of articles written in the past few weeks on ways to maneuver this crisis. And with all the “to-dos” that have been suggested, there seems to be one very important action item missing, patience. As we move through our new set of circumstances, we expect to figure it out overnight. Think about a new job, marriage, first child, etc. Did you become an expert parent, spouse, employee in just one day, one week or even one month? Of course not. When life changes, you must learn the skills necessary to adapt and that takes time, it takes patience.
Thanks to technology, I have had the opportunity to connect with personal and professional friends and colleagues. Everyone is discussing the strategies they’re implementing to stay focused and on task. Some include, keeping a strict schedule, exercising, creating dinner menus, drinking more water, etc. However, I noticed that with all of the conversations, everyone seemed to focus on their struggle with adjusting to this new normal. Many were even angry at themselves for not adapting more easily. The current situation has thrown all of us into a completely different reality in less than two weeks, and we expect to figure it out in a week. I don’t think so.
The Importance of Change, an article written by Leena Sanders sums up the importance of patience beautifully, “We are worthy of adapting to the unexplainable, and finding something beautiful within our new surrounding reality. Being comfortable in movement is being patient with ourselves, and knowing we are the epitome of survival. It’s accepting that in order to grow, change must be embraced as a path required to walk upon.” I so love this, “Being comfortable in movement is being patient with ourselves,” so true.
As we all shift and adjust to this new world in which we now live, patience is vital. Patience with ourselves and with others. We need to stop beating ourselves up simply because we’re struggling with adjusting to a massive lifestyle shift. Nothing that requires our whole being, mental, spiritual and physical, happens overnight. It takes time. I love this definition of patience from dictionary.com- Quiet, steady perseverance, even-tempered care, diligence. Slow and steady. Be patient with this shift. Do the best you can and remember that when you feel like you’re failing, you’re likely feeling, really feeling the impact of change and that’s hard and it’s okay. So, if there’s something you must focus on, start with patience. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself and those around you.