# Patience
- URL: https://www.petrikajander.com/patience/
- Author: Petri Kajander
- Date: 2004-10-31
- Language: en
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG45-P36IWI

We are used to living in the world of instant action and response. Each generation claims that the current speed and flow of information is almost too much to bear. The stress we feel, which is imposed by our society, the closest ones, and our working life, is almost too much to handle. So what is all this fuss about? Who's in a hurry and why?

We feel anxious when things seem to move too fast for us. We are not focused and cannot exactly draw the full picture. This is something very personal and subjective. Air traffic controllers have a different meaning of stress than kindergarten teachers and extreme sports base jumpers have. What is common to everyone is that the external activity level and the inner state of patience and calmness are totally different issues. When we are feeling comfortable, we can achieve a lot without any distress.

With experience and practice, our comfort zone extends. We learn to separate our physical existence from our inner state of being. With time, we start to feel less concerned about the circumstances and even new situations facing us. No matter how fast the pace or strange the situation, it should not affect our inner being. Those are just issues to deal with—no big deal.

We start to perceive life with patience. Everything has its time and place. For some activities we get involved, and for others we do not; sometimes our presence is required for an activity, and for some activities our presence is not necessary. Our time will come if we need the experience or the capability. Our life gives us what we deserve, but we are often just too impatient to wait for it. We get anxious and start to act on our own. And then we are confused. Things get out of our control and beyond our reach. At this point, we need even more patience.