One Step at a Time

Well hey everyone! By "everyone" I mean those who I've been able to convince to follow my brand new blog so far (including mom, my roommate, a few very loyal friends, and some coworkers of mine who were surprisingly supportive).
I'm starting this blog in an attempt to share the insights I've had into life. These range from how we can be happy to why is it that when we don't want loose change it's always there and when we do want it, it's nowhere to be found. All of these insights are what I've gained through my lens of rock climbing, the pursuit of scientific truths, healthy eating, and yes, just messing around.

Patience.
What a word.
I remember from a very young age that people say that patience is a virtue. I remember being told to, "have patience" when I would work on a project or try reading a book or try learning anything new.
Unfortunately I am not a naturally patient person.
Some people say that they're impatient, but I think that they'll start to learn about what it really means to be impatient when they start having an anxiety attack because the dryer at the laundromat HASN'T FINISHED RIGHT AT TWENTY MINUTES LIKE IT SAID IT WOULD.

But I digress.

Recently I think I've started to realize why it is that people have said that this "patience" thing is so great. It seems that something changes in us when we learn how to wait "patiently".

Before I mention that though, I think it's important to know what patience really is. Patience isn't just sitting on the sideline and waiting for the coach to call you in (an experience I've never had since I never played football and there really isn't a sideline in cross country or karate or rock climbing) but thinking that you'll never get to play. I like to think of patience as "active" or even, "hopeful" waiting. It's waiting because you believe in or expect a certain outcome, but you know that you can't do anything to expedite the process.

I guess a good example of this is found in rock climbing. When starting climbing, lots of really athletic, strong people want to just jump in and do really hard climbs and climb all the time. Over time though, they start to develop tendon injuries, thin skin on their fingertips (hurts a ton), and they lose motivation to keep up the sport.
Contrasting this are the experienced climbers (or smart beginners) that realize that, if they push their limits too hard and for too long, they will get injured one way or another, and that will ultimately set them back further than the gains of impatience will throw them forward.

So back to how it changes us.
When we wait with a purpose (my new definition of patience) we are not simply idling away time, but we are being more effective with it. When we learn true patience, we actually learn to trust people, things, situations, and even ourselves. When we learn to truly trust, we can trade our fears, anxieties, and pessimism for confidence, hope, and optimism. This in turn helps us to be happier, live our lives more meaningfully, and enjoy the journey.

Who doesn't want that?