How many times have you equated patience with power? It doesn’t seem like patience is powerful, or even considered a virtue, in today’s hyperlinked, mobile, always connected culture. But this quote reminds us that patience can be powerful.

I’m the first person to admit that sometimes it is difficult to be patient. It’s hard to be patient when traffic is horrendous. It’s hard to be patient when on hold on the phone. It’s hard to be patient when waiting in line. But it is hardest to be patient with ourselves. We want everything to be done now. We want success, however we define it, in our lives now. We find it unsatisfying to wait, to take a breath, to be patient.

But patience is powerful, if we are intentional about slowing down and taking the time to be patient. How wonderful is it to simply enjoy a conversation over a cup of tea with a friend or loved one without hurry? This is when we truly connect. How joyful is it to write, to bake, to paint, to print without worrying about what anyone else thinks about what we make? This is when we truly create. How peaceful is it to listen to the rain without interruption? This is when we truly have time to imagine.

Patience, like all good parents say, is a virtue. It is also a power that we can all cultivate that helps us in life and in art. I wish you a day of patient work and talk and wonder. May it lead you to new insights and success. 🙂