I used to be very impatient rushing at things or charging headlong like the Taurean bull that I am and even now I experience that at times. Afterwards I would wonder why everything lay in ruins around me. According to Richard Rudd, founder of the Gene Keys, it is linked with hunger and the two feed off each other. They both come from a deep seated fear that time is running out. If you are moving through a difficult period then it helps to remember that life itself is going through a difficult time. So when we see what’s going on at the moment with the lack of easing up of lockdown conditions further here in the UK; the fact that some countries still remain closed apart from essential travel is it any wonder people are struggling?
What does it mean to have patience? Some see patience as a state of collapse, of waiting for things to come passively. This is a common trap to fall into when you are new to the spiritual path.
Ironically patience takes patience to learn. Some Sufis see Patience as a crucible because it develops profound qualities within us, of endurance, tenacity, perseverance. There can be real power, strength, and fire to this quality perhaps more than you might expect based on the outward perception of patience. They say patience is not meek. Patience is the tiger lurking in the tall grass. Patience is a smouldering flame, waiting for the right fuel.
More than anything patience and trust go together. If you can trust in life, even in the challenging moments then you will remain in flow. Patience is the key to bringing more light into your cells. The more you trust what life is bringing you, the more in tune you are with the rhythm of life and the more open your heart becomes. This means you will soften and yield in your way of being to everything and everyone that shows up. This not only leads to inner peace in your life but also to integration, a core aspect of the Coral Journey we recently completed.
If you think about it impatience and patience are two ends of a continuum that we see rooted in our human understanding of the world. What lies beyond that is timelessness and to get there your mind has to grasp that you cannot do anything in life. It’s all about surrendering to what is. Rudd suggests that we will experience timelessness when our egos stop fighting with the candle of awareness which flickers from one state to the other!
And here’s the rub people often give up before getting to such heights of attainment because as you get nearer to it, you often undergo periods of intense doubt and insecurity as deeply held subconscious fears are released from your body. This kind of initiation can be very unsettling and is not for the faint hearted. And it’s why we often need a mentor and a guide at those points so we find a way through the darkness and back into universal flow. Reach out if this is something you would like help with.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash