The Power of Patience by M J Ryan

Author:M J Ryan [Ryan, M J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781573245999
Publisher: Red Wheel Weiser
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

IT WILL WORK OUT

Faith is belief in the unseen, the quietly held conviction that even though you can't imagine how, at some time, in some place, in the right way, the thing you desire will indeed come to pass.

DAPHNE ROSE KINGMA

Sara is an entrepreneur in her late twenties who just opened a high-end business in a tough economy. “I find myself constantly irritable with my partner and my employees,” she confessed to me. “My partner spends half the day saying ‘chill out’ to me. The worst part is that I think he's right. My impatience is not helping the situation, but I can't seem to snap out of it.”

Sara has a great deal of self-awareness. When I asked her why she thought she was so impatient with everyone including herself, she got very quiet, and then said, “Oh, I see what it is, I'm afraid of the future. I'm so anxious about the possibility of failing that I am trying to do everything to keep the bad future from happening. Meanwhile my impatience is only increasing the chances that we will fail!”

As this young woman discovered, one of the attitudes that fosters patience is faith in a good outcome. When we believe in a happy future, we can wait more calmly now. This takes faith—in ourselves, our partners, our God, the benevolence of the universe—because we have no guarantee one way or another. We must live as if it will turn out, without knowing precisely how it will end up. And that is not always easy, particularly when there's a lot at stake.

The irony is that, while there are no guarantees, from the state of serenity that faith produces, it is more likely that the good outcome will occur. When we are fearful and impatient, we are off-balance, cut off from our deep inner wisdom which could guide us through the challenges we're facing. With our patience intact, we can apply all of our resources, both inner and outer, to the task at hand.

Faith in the good outcome doesn't mean that we become Pollyannas with our heads in the sand, oblivious to the real hardships of our lives. We should be prudent and seek quality advice and support when needed. We must tell ourselves the truth of our situation, even if it's not pretty. Then, armed with the facts and our faith, we can make the best decisions possible.

I once had a client who came to me and said, “I have two weeks until my business runs out of money. I have faith in my products and myself. What do you think I should do?” The two of us brainstormed for one hour and then she left. I didn't see her for six months. Then, out of the blue, I got a call from her saying that she had found a distributor and was hanging in there.

Faith in a good outcome doesn't guarantee that life will turn out exactly as we want it. Businesses and relationships fail; the stock market goes down as well as up.

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