Picture totally unrelated to content.
I have said several times this year in a more unofficial capacity that my "word" (or "words" in my case) of the year is "Be Present." It's something I'm not always good at, and something upon which I know I can improve (that awkward sentence brought to you by Grammar Rules: How Not to End a Sentence With a Preposition) .
With that in mind, I found this quote today and it is perfect, perfect, perfect and I am going to do something pretty with it and put it up in my house. I will assuredly take pictures of this process and post them for the world (my three readers) to see.
“Patience is a hard discipline… it asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient, we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later, and somewhere else. Let’s be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.”
| -Henri J. M. Nouwen |
That's a great quote! I struggle with patience, wanting to be done with grad school especially.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of this quote from Thich Naht Hahn
To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only
when you aren't doing them. Once you are standing in front of the sink
with your sleeves rolled up and your hands in the warm water, it is really
quite pleasant. I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware
of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands. I know that
if I hurry in order to eat dessert sooner, the time of washing dishes
will be unpleasant and not worth living. That would be a pity,
for each minute, each second of life is a miracle. The dishes themselves
and that fact that I am here washing them are miracles!
Well, that is awesome. Gorgeous, really. And now I just spent 10 minutes googling Thich Naht Hahn (which was very interesting)-- thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnd I won't be preachy at all because I felt exactly the same way when I was in grad school but now that I am done I so, so miss it.
Thank you both for both of these quotes! I've been feeling awfully impatient lately -- particularly these last few days. Just what I needed to hear.
ReplyDeleteLacey, I stumbled upon your blog via your comment on Simcha's blog. It's been such fun flipping through your recent posts during my lunch break. :)