“One moment of patience may prevent disaster; one moment of impatience may ruin a life.” Many damaging things happen because we aren’t patient enough. Often, we rush ahead, ignore the warning signs, and suffer harm that patience would have prevented.
“Deep in your heart it is not guidance that you want as much as a guide” (John White). When the path before us is uncertain, we need not only facts and information; we need a friendly person who will guide us by leading us and supporting us.
Two things are necessary. The first is to develop our own individuality, and the second is to accept the individuality of others. This doesn’t mean condoning wrongdoing or immorality. Within the limits of what is right, it means rejoicing in variety.
None of us had homes that were perfect, but despite that fact, most of us can look back with a good deal of gratitude. Somehow we survived the mistakes that were made, and now it’s nourishing to remember the environment where we got our start.
We tend to take on fewer new projects when we reach old age, but even then it’s healthy to keep pushing ourselves to be creative. Every day there is something new we can make, even if it’s only a small thing, and it’s good for us to keep on trying.
When you decide on your direction and commit to following it, you’ll find yourself filled with a motivation you’ve probably not known before. “To grow and know what one is growing towards — that is the source of all strength and confidence in life.”
Thomas Edison lived well before our times, but his words are still true: “We do not know one millionth of one percent about anything.” Even in subject areas that are well-trodden, there is still much that we might profitably give our minds to.
We will never understand everything about the world, but what understandings we do gain should be enjoyed. And since almost every understanding corrects some previous misunderstanding, growth in our understanding requires humility.
Whether due to negligence, irresponsibility, or outright wrongdoing, we haven’t made the progress toward our goals that we should have. Even so, we’re not captives of our past. “What is important is not where you came from but where you are going.”
We may be behind schedule in acquiring the wisdom that goes with maturity, but we can start working on it right now. We can make up for lost time. And the best way to do that is to start listening (with an open mind) when mature people are speaking.
