Today's quotation:

Flowers do not force their way with great strife.  Flowers open to perfection slowly in the sun. . . . Don't be in a hurry about spiritual matters.  Go step by step, and be very sure.

White Eagle

Today's Meditation:

Sometimes it's nice to remind ourselves that we can step aside from the frantic and frenetic pace of modern life and take a deep breath and just enjoy the moment, whichever moment it happens to be.  It's good to remind ourselves that we are spiritual beings, and that all that we're going through in this lifetime is a very small piece of eternity.  Others might want or expect us to keep up the harried pace with them, but if we truly wish to develop our spiritual sides-- the truest part of ourselves-- then we must respect and revere life with patience and calmness.

Have you ever seen a stressed-out mother trying to cope with her children?  What kinds of messages does she send to her kids when she's lost her patience and tolerance and ability to simply be there?  Likewise, what kinds of messages do you send yourself when you don't allow yourself time to grow and develop, when your expectations of yourself are unrealistically high, when you're so stressed out that you can't treat yourself in a calm and relaxed manner?

Life knows the pace that's best.  Flowers and trees and bushes don't hurry to bloom-- they bloom when they're supposed to.

If I were to ask myself how I would prefer to grow-- frantically and rushed, or calm and relaxed-- then the answer would be very simple.  I would like to grow as a flower grows, without hurry and without worry, following the lead that the sun provides me, growing surely in the beauty of its light.

Questions to consider:

Are you usually in a hurry to get things done, or are you able to relax and let things take care of themselves in their own time?

What would happen if a flower were to open before it was ready?

Do you separate your spiritual matters from the other matters in your life?

A Lesson in Patience
Nikos Kazantzakis

I remembered one morning when I discovered a cocoon in the bark of a tree, just as the butterfly was making a hole in its case and preparing to come out.  I waited a while, but it was too long appearing and I was impatient.  I bent over it and breathed on it to warm it.  I warmed it as quickly as I could and the miracle began to happen before my eyes, faster than life.  The case opened, the butterfly started slowly crawling out and I shall never forget my horror when I saw how its wings were folded back and crumpled; the wretched butterfly tried with its whole trembling body to unfold them. Bending over it, I tried to help it with my breath.  In vain.  It needed to be hatched out patiently and the unfolding of the wings should be a gradual process in the sun.  Now it was too late.  My breath had forced the butterfly to appear, all crumpled, before its time.  It struggled desperately and, a few seconds later, died in the palm of my hand.

That little body is, I do believe, the greatest weight I have on my conscience.  For I realize today that it is a mortal sin to violate the great laws of nature.  We should not hurry, we should not be impatient, but we should confidently obey the eternal rhythm.

from Zorba the Greek

more thoughts and ideas on patience

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