Patience: Letting Go of the Timeline and Embracing the Present Moment
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu*
Do you ever feel that life isn’t moving fast enough for you? Waiting can be excruciating, whether you’re longing for that dream job, hoping for a breakthrough on a major project, or counting on someone else to make a crucial decision.
Our modern world has conditioned us to crave immediate results. We’re used to instant gratification, and anything less can make us feel restless or out of control.
Think about a time when you desperately wanted something to happen but were forced to wait. How did you feel? Did impatience make you anxious, or perhaps leave you doubting whether things would ever work out? You’re not alone. In this high-speed world, sitting in discomfort while waiting for things to unfold can feel impossible.
Here’s a hard truth: we have no control over timelines or the actions of others. But this doesn’t mean we’re powerless. What we *do* have control over is our own actions, mindset, and feelings. Embracing patience starts with letting go of our need to control external outcomes. It’s about finding peace in the present moment, even without the thing we think we need to be okay. Embodiment tools that ground us to the present are so helpful here.
Ask yourself: What would change if you could release the timeline and focus only on what you can control? This might look like taking small, purposeful steps toward your goals, cultivating a mindset of openness, and being mindful of your emotional well-being. Patience isn’t a passive state—it’s an active practice of self-mastery.
It can help to recognize that our personal timelines often differ from life’s bigger picture. Sometimes, life gives us what we need when we least expect it, but we have to be open to receiving it. Reflect on this: When you’ve practiced patience in the past, did things end up working out in surprising ways?
Consider the practice of slow living and stillness. Even when it feels like nothing is happening on the surface, things are often unfolding in the background. Just like the heron that waits motionless by the water’s edge, we too can be still and observant, ready for the perfect moment.
Questions for Reflection:
What outcome or timeline are you currently trying to control, and how does that make you feel?
How would it feel to let go of the pressure to rush and trust that things will unfold when they’re meant to?
What small, purposeful actions can you take right now to support your journey without feeling the need to speed things up?
Remember, patience allows us to receive what life has in store more gracefully. It’s a practice of releasing the longing and embracing the present, knowing that the universe often has its own perfect timing. That shift in perspective can make all the difference.
Watch my video on practicing patience here.
With warmth,
Emily Grace
This is the work I support clients with in corporate workshops and my 1:1 program.
