Mary’s Minute
“Patience is not simply the
ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting.”
~ Joyce Meyer
I started my career as a kindergarten teacher, and when I
told people that I was a kindergarten teacher the first comment I usually got
was, “You must have great patience.” The
truth is I don’t. I am not good at
waiting – I don’t do well in lines, and I am action oriented and want quick
results. Normally in January I write
about new beginnings and resolutions.
This year as we begin the New Year, what is on my mind is the power of
purposeful waiting. With the gloomy days
of winter upon us, we long for warmth and sunshine. With resolutions for changes in our lives (my
standard resolution is always to lose weight!) we yearn for quick results. When I think about waiting for spring or
working for results, I think a simple comparison to waiting in a check-out line
is helpful. I have waited in line at
times when I felt like my head would explode because I was so impatient and so
rushed. At other times, I have simply
taken a deep breath and used the wait time as an opportunity for reflection and
relaxation. The line moves the same pace
regardless of the state of mind. The difference
is what we do to ourselves. Waiting to
me implies wasted time, but I think the power of patience is that we use our
wait time to be construction, even if that productivity is simply personal
reflection and rejuvenation. Whatever
change you are looking forward to – whether as part of a resolution, in your
teaching, or in your life, I hope that your waiting is purposeful in a way that
doesn’t waste time but uses the down-time as a chance for another type of
growth.
Happy
New Year!
Mary
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