done quickly in any of our earlier discussions, which, quite frankly, was not fair to me because all I saw was a lack of trust and impatience in your management style.” That day informed and humbled me greatly. It was a harsh lesson in the power of patience, which is well stated with the following Chinese proverb: “A little impatience can ruin great plans.” Since that day, I have continued to do my best to ensure a good plan or relationship will not turn into shambles due to my impatience. Today, we live fast, process fast, we also want things instantly and quickly. Our world can be driven by instant engagement and gratification without pause and time to ponder. Whether it’s from a quick back-and-forth text message or social media exchange…we want it and expect it now! We even become frustrated when we are in a restaurant drive-through line, despite knowing the drive-through line process has been designed to deliver our order quickly. We still lose patience. It’s so easy to forget that sometimes the best things in life aren’t delivered to us instantly or on-demand. Think about the nine-month process every mother goes through to nurture a baby to birth and the years it takes to raise a child to an adult. Or the effort a student must take to go from elementary, middle, junior, and high school - before they embark on pursuing a career or head into college. Sometimes, the perfect answer—that elusive, picture-perfect partner we are seeking, the right business opportunity or job—may take time and not arrive immediately into your life. As it has been said, “Good things often take time...and if it takes time...then it is worth waiting for.” So, for today, tomorrow, and beyond, whenever you find yourself getting a bit anxious, getting stressed, and losing tolerance, take time, sit back, pause, reflect, and think about how you can be more patient, and then practice patience. And when you do practice patience, please share your ideas with me on what works for you to master this skill, because the path to patience is more than just a destination. It’s a nonstop journey, and I don’t mind having company along the way to remind me and keep me grounded as I wait for that order in the drive-through line, muttering under my breath the words, “Come on, I’m hungry and need my order, so please hurry up!” #practicepatience #coffeewithcleo “Good things often take time... and if it takes time... then it is worth waiting for.” 25
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