It continues...(But, I actually really liked this chapter)
CHAPTER 10: PATIENCE - Have You Left Your Soul Behind?
Heavens knows I am not the most patient person in the world... Oh my.
"Patience is also the skill of understanding and respecting your own rhythms and those of others... When someone imposes on us a rhythm that is not ours, we feel violated." (p. 137)
Yes, make your rhythm match mine, NOW! That might be my attitude...
I have always walked fast; let's get going, let's go - that's my mentality. I had a very slow moving roommate in college, who I also grew up with, and for example, I would be out of the car and in the store before she would even have her seat belt off (my husband is the same way). She came with me to pick up my mom from the airport before I had Trevan. I picked her up at work and followed her out to my car. (Did you get that, 'followed?') I was large and pregnant, so I guess I waddled out behind her to the car. For once she was walking faster than me. She turned around and was like, "what???" and starting laughing her classic laugh. That had never happened. I was always running ahead. Anyway, just a funny moment, I won't ever forget.
The author tells a GREAT story:
"A group of scientists had to carry out research in a far-away, almost inaccessible place. A group of Mexican carriers were transporting their equipment by hand. Along the way, all the carriers inexplicably stopped at once. The scientists were astonished, then became irritated, finally furious. Why did they not go on? They were wasting time. The Mexicans seemed to be waiting. Then all at once, they started moving again. One of them explained to the scientists what had happened: "Because we had been going so fast, we had left our souls behind. We stopped to wait for our souls." (p. 138)
"Caught up in the urgency, we forget what is truly important in life. Pushed on by the demon of haste, we forget our souls - our dreams, our warmth, our wonder." (p. 139)
I love that story. The author talks about when we are impatient, "we forget the soul - theirs and ours."
"Kindness has a slow pace." (p. 139)
Interesting thought.
"I am convinced that global cooling goes hand in hand with the accelerated pace in all sectors of modern life. We are under pressure - we cannot afford to waste even a second. Children are made to grow up fast, and we feel proud when they can complete next year's curriculum early..." (p. 141)
"'Pointless' activities, like having a chat, meeting in the square or in a park, idling away the time with others, are often discouraged. If all this is happening, inevitable the room for warmth becomes less and less." (p. 141)
"... the more we hurry, the less we are willing to help... We are kinder when we have more time." (p. 142)
A Tibetan Buddhist tradition in how they help teach patience is to fill five hundred little bottles one by one with water, without hurrying. "I am filling this little bottle, here, in this moment, without thinking there are 499 to go." (p. 143)
Oh my. I would so have a hard time. I would totally look at the bottles and be like how can I fill these the fastest, what is the most efficient way to do this.
In some perception, time is almost an enemy.
"In this perspective, the person in front of us in line who lingers to chat with the employee about trivial matters, while our time bomb keeps ticking away, cannot help but arouse our murderous instincts." (p.144) This is so my little sister when she's driving. (You know it.)
"If ever we can be free of the need to get there first, do more, earn more, then other people will no longer appear as obstacles to our urgency. We will feel kinder toward them." (p. 146)
Dear John,
I will try better to not view you as an obstacle to my urgency.
Love,
Holly
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