These days, it seems that the world around us is increasingly hell-bent on getting things done fast, fast, and faster. But this demanding lack of patience often leaves many us stressed and robbed of much-needed rest. That’s why resting and practicing Patience can serve as radical acts of rebellion against a system that extracts excessively just to keep up with unconscious, wasteful, and consumptive demand.
To an external world that prioritizes fast production above all else, embodying the energy of radical Patience – or choosing to defiantly rest – can look like indifference, carelessness, or laziness. But I have learned that impatience often breeds less favorable outcomes than the elevated path of Patience, just as not getting enough rest increases physical and mental health issues. It is because of this that I don’t appreciate being rushed to do anything, and why, for me, being patient is the Path of Least Resistance. I make it a point to choose rest over “production” because I have seen how much more functional, efficient, and effective I am when I do so. And I take my time to do all that I need to do – slow and steady – to ensure I do it consciously and intentionally.
I know it can be easy to become discouraged when things do not move as fast as society has conditioned us to think they should. But Divine timing does not adhere to the limited constraints or expectations of society. For it is often in the wait (or lag) – after seeds have been planted and tended to – that growth occurs. And when seeds are planted in fertile grounds, where conditions naturally favor their establishment and growth without unnatural input, we see that much of the “work” that truly needs to be done is simply practicing Patience. This is not to say, however, that Patience is a replacement for necessary action. Rather, it reminds us that once the essential steps have been taken, Patience can prevent us from expending needless effort, forcing outcomes, or disrupting what is already unfolding in its own natural and Divine timing.
Now, if the “seeds” we have planted are that of a “large tree” rather than a “small plant”, know that their growth will require much more Patience, since larger manifestations naturally take more time to mature to fruition. We can think about attraction, or manifestation (metaphorically) as a process similar to magnetism – where the force between a magnet and another object depends on the magnet’s strength, the distance between them, and the properties of the object being pulled. Similarly, our goals, dreams, and desires tend to move toward us at a ‘speed’ influenced by the strength of our internal alignment (our clarity, willpower, consistency), our proximity to the conditions that support them, and the nature of what we are trying to manifest.
In this sense, larger or more complex manifestations – like heavier or less responsive objects in a magnetic field – often require greater internal strength, more sustained effort, or simply more time before being fully drawn in. And it’s why big dreams and goals naturally call for greater patience on our part. Depending on how far our current reality sits from our desired one, there may be times when it appears that no progress is being made at all. But as long as we are putting in consistent and intentional effort (i.e., working toward our dream, goal, or vision), we can trust that progress is indeed unfolding in unseen ways.
So let us reclaim our Power by choosing to REST as much as our mind, body, and Spirit call for. And let us fully embody the energy of Patience by trusting in the natural and Divine timing of Life’s processes.
