Patience, Grasshopper...

So. I've been noticing that the Universe has been sending me a lot of messages about patience lately. Specifically, patience as it relates to the big things in my life - my home and my work.

I'm not sure that I wouldn't catagorize myself as a patient person (yes, I know, there were a couple of double negatives in that sentence - figure it out), though I will admit to having the kind of personality that is better suited to action than not. I have a low tolerance for bullshit of pretty much any variety, but I wouldn't self-identify as an impatient person. I'm pretty good at waiting in line, I don't complain too much about red lights and am remarkably flexible when it comes to unexpected changes in plans. At least, *I* think I am.

Lately, though, I've gotten a lot of feedback from people who know me who have said that they're amazed that I've been able to wait as long as I have for some pretty important things. Some have even expressed surprise that I've not moved out of my (still unfinished) house in protest or that I haven't made an appointment with the principal who has still yet to return my call about a job I was promised word about three weeks ago. While I kind of think this is amusing because, well, I may not LOVE that my house has been in a state of transformation for the past year or that I get the willies every time the phone rings, I also know that in the grand scheme of things, this stuff just isn't that big a deal. My marriage is worth more to me than an orderly house and, while I want the job, it's not a life-or-death thing for me.

I was discussing this theme of patience and the Universe sending me all these messages with Kizz this afternoon. I mentioned to her that I thought that, maybe, the lesson was that I shouldn't wait so well; that maybe I should start taking action sooner rather than later on issues with greater importance. Now, we were online, so I couldn't actually SEE her laughing at me, but I'm pretty sure that, had she been drinking something, it would have been coming out her nose. Kizz is one of those friends who sees me as an action-taker and thought that my hypothesis of the point of the lesson was, well, full of shit (am I more or less capturing your thinking here, Kizz?).

Her take on it was, and I quote:

Well, I think the lesson might be (even though you didn't ask me to say) about finding a balance between the 2 extremes. About being exposed to things (a job, your marriage) that you want so much that you are willing to learn to wait longer than your comfort zone allows. And knowing when that's a decision you're happy with and when you're not.

I'm really liking her take on it, and am finding myself, yet again, grateful to have friends who can help me see beyond my little box, though I am a little alarmed that people may see me as far more aggressive than I think I am. When I get right down to it, THAT may be the big lesson in all of this.