When Patience Takes Time

18/11/2012 11:10

When Patience Takes Time

Last December, I reflected on 2011.   2012 with more patience on my part & learning the lesson (again) about having a bigger yes felt like it was going to be much more.    Looking forward, more discerning decisions about activities to say yes to & which ones to say no to were at the top of the “to do” list. 

During 2011, I realized that I had let my “bigger yes” activities become sacrificed because I had filled my schedule so full with other commitments.  It was not a great feeling knowing that I was responsible for how 2011 had unfolded, one decision at a time.  The reality though was that there was great news in seeing this.  That meant that better choices could be made for the coming year.  It is a little like when you download your glucose meter & the numbers speak volumes about what you have gone through in the last few weeks.  That is the opportunity to assess the numbers & make different decisions…life enhancing decisions regarding health.  The same can be said of one’s life choices whether they are spiritual or career related or family related…at least that is how it is in my life.

Here it is, November 2012…nearly one year later & it is a great feeling to be on “the right track”…not the perfect track, but on the right one, heading in the right direction.  Learning to say no to some activities was tough I found.  I love to say yes to everything yet that is not realistic & by saying no to some activities over the last several months, it has meant that I can now be involved in the activities that I am absolutely passionate about…my bigger yes.

Now for the patience piece…well ironically, learning to be more patient takes time.  Last December, I began by ordering a book on patience by M.J. Ryan.  Well, too funny…it was out of stock yet was advertised as being backordered for the next 3 months.  Okay, I thought to myself, that is irony at its finest.  About a month later, an email came through saying that the book was no longer at all available for sale.  Being tenacious, I then looked for one through second hand stores, the library & anywhere that I could think of.  Long story, cut short, it took 6 months to get the book.  I appreciated it even more once I got to read it.  Reading is one thing yet putting into practice greater patience is a work in progress.  Slowing down is a choice that is made daily yet over time it has lead to greater peace & more appreciation each & every day.

As far as diabetes goes, the patience & having a bigger yes have been incredibly valuable.  I no longer wait for a cure but rather participate in advocating more meaningfully in reaching out to others with the heart’s hope of building community not just within diabetes-related communities, but also in each & every circle that I get to be touched by.  It means that I expect a cure yet life is meant to be lived I think day by day, in the present & there is where the greatest appreciation, peace & hope are there waiting each morning.  May your bigger yes be huge!  Smiles, Saundie :)