Patience

Anyone into meditation?

I’ve tried, failed, and will likely try again.

My wife shared with me a particularly impactful meditation that lasted 5 full minutes. It was a woman’s voice and there were only 4 words, repeated very slowly over and over again.

There.

Is.

No.

Rush.

Did you read that right? Take 4 beats in between each word. Wow! That’s it! Talk about requiring patience! Can you imagine listening to There…Is…No…Rush over and over for 5 minutes? 

And that phrase has stuck with us ever since.  We use it all the time, even sarcastically because we know the reality sometimes is “There-is-a-rush”!

It really is helping me.

Ever been in traffic? There. Is. No. Rush.

Every had someone cut you off? There. Is. No. Rush.

Ever caught behind someone going slow in the passing lane, matching the right lane traffic, so NO ONE gets through?!

There. Is. No. Rush.

Seriously, the highways are the best training ground for patience, aren’t they?

Did you know the Chinese bamboo tree doesn’t grow for 5 years? You water it and take care of it for 5 years. And in the 6th year, over 6 weeks, it grows 80 feet! Clearly, for the Bamboo Tree, There. Was. No. Rush.

What lessons we can learn from this? Stay the course with your exercise, your career, your marriage, your faith, your education, your investments. Unless a new course is absolutely necessary – stay the course. 

As a former salesperson, and still one in my own business, I’ve learned patience is the greatest virtue of a salesperson. As long as I’m swinging the bat, with the right mechanics, and with the right attitude, I’ve learned that there’s a slight edge in motion and if I stay the course, I’ll eventually get to my destination.  Tortoise and the Hare, anyone!

The next time you set out to do something great – exercise, quitting smoking, building wealth, raising kids, growing your marriage, reading the Bible. As long as there is a purpose and a process, remember -

There. Is. No. Rush.