Patience, my friend.

Thing take the time they take.

Don’t worry.

- Mary Oliver

Things take the time they take yet here we are always wanting to know when something will start or when something will end. We can set expectations but, as we go through life, we learn that patience and acceptance are key to finding our way to the other side.

Patience /ˈpāSHəns/

the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset

Question: What have you tolerated or suffered through lately?

For me, it was recovering from my partial nephrectomy (removal of a tumor on my kidney). I knew that recovery would take 4-6 weeks, yet I still found myself feeling discouraged during the first several days. Walking was difficult, sitting up was difficult, and even lifting a bowl up into the cupboard was difficult. The morning before surgery I ran 6 miles and now, all of a sudden, I felt like I couldn’t even circle the block.

Fast forward to week three, I found myself enjoying power walks but still didn’t see myself going for a jog just yet. I still felt discouraged. I had my sights set on my 4-week mark. I thought, “Once I get through 4 weeks of recovery, I can get back movements I love (i.e. running, cycling, jumping jacks).” That third week, I was discouraged because I wasn’t feeling up to it just yet. Cue: Things take the time they take. I needed to have a little chat with myself. I needed to acknowledged what my body had just endured. I needed to acknowledge that I may or may not be able to move the way I want to once my 4-week mark came around because things take the time they take no matter what “deadlines” we set.

Another example of this is race training. When you first look at a marathon training plan, that 15-miler seems very out of reach – never mind the 26.2-mile run at the end. It’s important to acknowledge that training takes time and patience. Getting to 26.2 takes the time it takes. Trusting the process will get you to the end.

Let’s share: When did you need to tell yourself that, “Things take the time they take?”