Mindful Patience

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. - John Quincy Adams

Remember the “Perseverance” card I created to get me through the knee replacements?? In the days following surgery and while in the Rehab hospital, I kept it right next to my bed, and it was the first and last thing I saw each day.? It helped, as I would picture it, or I would say the word to myself when struggling with that last set of knee flexes or quad raises during a PT session.? Well the perseverance has paid off; at three weeks out I’m walking with minimal use of a cane, stairs are not a problem and I can safely operate my car.? Now a new challenge emerges - Patience!

Patience is defined as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.? But in these few short weeks I have learned that patience is much more.? Patience is accepting where you are at the moment, and learning all you can before moving on.? How did I come upon this enlightenment?? By being reminded that I needed to focus more on the here and now.? The new knees and the legs?must?learn how to walk again.

For over one year, my knees had gone from bad to worse, so I compensated.? To relieve the pain when walking, my gait had taken on a wobble.? Rather than step directly ahead, my right foot would step out at a 45 degree angle.? It became an unconscious movement, one that I was reminded of by my?physical therapist who said, “I thought they gave you new knees?? Why are you still walking with that wobble?”? She reviewed the basics with me; push off with the toes of your rear foot, and land squarely on the heel of your lead foot.? Roll through the entire foot, from heel strike to the ball of your foot to the final push off with your toes, allowing your ankle to move through its full range of motion. That’s a lot to think about for one step, and I was to now focus on it for the half-mile walks I take twice daily.

The Stoics saw patience as a virtue because it requires us to exercise self-control. Patience enables us to resist the urge to react impulsively to external events. Patience lets us step back and assess the situation with a clear and rational mind thus enabling better decisions and avoiding unnecessary conflict.? Perhaps most important, patience helps us develop a greater sense of empathy and compassion for others.? When we are patient, we are more likely to listen to others and understand their perspective. This can lead to deeper and more meaningful relationships, and its those relationships that get you through the tough times?

For me, patience has now become an exercise in mindfulness.? It is giving full attention to the present moment and what I am trying to accomplish.? One could say that patience has become the mother of expectation.? Yes, there are many things I would like to do sooner rather than later; a return to the golf course, having a catch with Luke or kicking a soccer ball with Grace and Scarlett, but these expectations will come in time only if I am patient at this moment.? In fact, being impatient could jeopardize the future.? At the moment, it’s best I focus on walking, the time for running with the Wolfpups will come.

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Embrace Patience

Embrace the Challenge