I want patience, and I want it NOW..

Waiting for the sunset

One thing I have definitely learnt while on the water is patience. When I say I have learnt it, I don’t mean that I practice it, only that I have a far better understanding of it.. I remember when we crossed the Bay of Biscay, which is notorious for rough seas and basically unpleasantness.

Well, it lived up to its reputation… after a leak in the front which resulted in a soaked bed, a diesel spill in the main section which resulted in no cooking for a while, and basically been thrown around like the eternally lost sock in a tumble dryer, we felt that there was no hope. I tried patience. I did, really, but ultimately it had to soak through me. No WiFi meant no distractions, no phone calls meant I couldn’t wait it out while chatting to a friend. In the end you just have to BE.

For someone who is a planner by trade and nature, I found this impossible. But it just had to be. After a few days of this, the weather calmed down and we had time to relax and just really reflect on how small we are in the ocean. The phrase “patience is a virtue” is underrated and I am only now starting to understand that, quite ironically, it takes time and much self awareness. Realising that you need to practice being patient, is different to just hanging around and waiting. Hanging around waiting is having a phone in your hand, distracting yourself and getting frustrated while you wait. Patience is enjoying the moment, as hard as it might be, reflecting on what’s going on, whether you like it or not, and living in the moment.

Having said that, I more often than not find myself trying to grab my phone a lot of the time to distract me.

If patience is something you struggle with, drop me a line and let’s chat!