Impatience is nothing to be proud of. But it is a weakness that I have come to openly acknowledge. Being patient is a virtue they say. You must wait. Good things come to those who wait. A friend shared this verse from Kabir, one particular day when I seemed to be very angsty about my current state of affairs.
“धीरे-धीरे रे मना, धीरे सब कुछ होय,माली सींचे सौ घड़ा, ॠतु आए फल होय | ”
Sant Kabir
Roughly translated, this means that go slow, things happen slowly. A gardener may water the trees excessively but they will only fruit when the season is right.
Does that mean that we don’t try and wait for the seasons to change? Do situations automatically change ?
I don’t think so. I think it is important to keep working towards something. But it doesn’t mean it will work out immediately. Sometimes results of your efforts accrue over time. Expecting quick results often leads to disappointment. Sometimes quick results are often misleading and temporary. The pursuit of consistency is important.
On certain days, however, it is important to reflect if your efforts are consistent, and in the right direction. Are all the sacrifices worth it? Does any of it make sense ?
The same thing can be applied for gratification. Delaying it for as long as you can has proven to improve physical health, cognition and social competence. The famous marshmallow experiment studied children who were able to delay gratification when they were four and then again tested for other aspects of their life. Turns out those who were able to delay gratification were able to become better at many aspects.
This is illuminating and of course, proves Sant Kabir right once again. This year, I am going to practice patience and continue to tend to my plants, water and nurture them but not become impatient for the fruits.
Here’s to a year full of patience.
