"Hey, Patience...Hurry Up!": Creativity Rehab! Part 7

A Guide To Recovering Your Creative Soul Through Life’s Simple, Guiding Principles

pa·tience /ˈpāSHəns/ noun 1. the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Yesterday, I fell. Hard. On a Saturday morning walk with a dear friend, we got to laughing so hard that I lost focus and found myself being launched up and over a huge boulder, ass-backwards. I was splayed out on my back before I could blink. For a moment, we both thought I had broken my neck. We hobbled back home and she got me settled, cleaned up and made a store-run for ice. I had the best nurse-friend a girl could ask for. My boyfriend arrived shortly thereafter and took over the doctor duties. My afternoon was spent in my recliner, keeping an eye out for any signs of concussion and keeping my neck and shoulders iced. The pain was severe, and thoughts of my "to-do" list for the next couple of weeks had me immediately searching online for quickest ways to heal after a fall. Turns out I would need to give my body over to Father Time, rest and more ice. Patience is not my strong suit.

10 hours of sleep last night brought new perspective this morning, AND less pain. I started thinking about Patience, and how it could help me recover. How could I stay centered and calm as my body took the next few days or weeks to fully mend? How could I be kind to myself through deadlines, and not beat myself up for taking things slower than usual? My thoughts turned to my writing, and I began to think about how I could apply Patience to the project I was working on. How could the principle of Patience help me find the best version of myself as a writer?

When you find yourself stuck (or can't seem to start) your own creative endeavors or hobbies, take a look at the Principle of Patience. Ask yourself the following:

1. How can I trust that I'm right where I'm supposed to be in the creative process?

2. Am I allowing frustration and anger to cloud my progress, or am I being kind to myself?

3. Why are the deadlines I've self-imposed so important?

4. What would happen if I decided to sit back and relax?

5. What does relaxation look like to me?

6. Why do I have a need to control the situation?

7. What other things bring me happiness and joy?

Practicing patience takes... patience. Take a deep breath and try. I'd love to learn more about your creative pursuits, and how you practice Patience in your own life. Drop me a line at apattersonconsulting@gmail.com. To learn more about how life's Guiding Principles can help you in your creative endeavors, check out the other blog posts in my Creativity Rehab! series here.