IT’S PEAK HOUR ON A ‘FREEWAY FRIDAY’ NEAR YOU and you note all the different reactions accordant to the delay. Some are calm and resigned to the fact, and despite possibly harrowed working weeks at the office, they show they’re patient, investing in another world; others are impatient, as shown by their frequent lane changes and horn blowing.
Life can be seen metaphorically as a continual road trip that is punctuated by the odd, though regular-in-appearance, traffic jam.
There are times when we react like the first driver. We’re patient and we deal easily with the frustrations of life. There’s no pressing hurry and we know that getting upset won’t change anything, so we don’t sweat it.
Other times we easily fume. And we’ve all been there, without exception.
Despite these traffic jams of life there is only one thing we can do. That is to simply do what we can do. It’s no good getting cross and all bent and twisted about the delays and inconveniences or things that don’t go our way.
Knowing this in theory is one thing, however, and practicing it is another.
And so if we know this and don’t apply the lessons that take us towards patience we lose out on peace. We do ourselves wrong.
We can only do what we can do. We can only endeavour to play our part and keep up with the metaphorical slow-moving traffic whilst not stressing about the frustrating delays.
The delays will always come. Our approach to those delays that always come is something only we can choose. I wonder if it’s conceivable to get to a place—mentally, emotionally and spiritually—where we truly appreciate the delays for the extra reflection time we can utilise (amongst other things).
© 2010 S. J. Wickham.
No comments:
Post a Comment