The night my water broke was memorable.
I got out of bed to go the bathroom and like so many pregnant
women was greeted with a mini flood of water splattering on the bathroom tile. It was accompanied (of course) by pain deep
in my stomach like no other pain I'd ever felt.
I made it to the toilet in time to vomit and staggered back
to the bedroom to give my ex-husband (who of course did not have an ex in front
of his name at the time) the happy news that we needed to get to the hospital.
. .fast.
The labor pains came in huge uncontrollable waves all the
way to the hospital. By the time I was
on the hospital gurney headed to the delivery room I heard an inner voice that
I can clearly remember to this day.
Through all the crazy cramping as I writhed in pain on the fast
moving bed zooming toward the delivery room with a frantic camera-holding
husband by my side I heard the voice of wisdom (that incidentally sounded very
much like my own voice when I'm much calmer.)
This voice delivered an important message; “You can do this
the easy way or you can do this the hard way.”
It went on to say, “My suggestion is you take a very deep breath, calm
down and let whatever is going to happen, happen.”
Wow! What a thought.
The advice was delivered with such clarity, such wisdom that it made an instant connection with my personal power.
Wisely I decided to heed its advice.
The pain, while still there, reduced immediately and I felt calm and controlled. Very quickly I delivered two healthy baby
boys while my ex snapped an unbelievable number of shots all from very curious
angles.
My experience is that business at times seems like childbirth. The process can become so overwhelming we
want to push when it’s simply not time to push.
We want to go against the natural rhythm and make things happen before
their time.
I've learned (and relearned)
the lesson from my inner wisdom; we can do it the hard way or the easy
way.
Learn to be actively patient. Stay focused, stay strategic, optimistic and passionately
persevere even in the face of what feels like delay.
I know it’s not new and probably not popular in this
get-it-done-yesterday mindset but indeed patience is a virtue worth
cultivating.
[1] This
post is dedicated to my poet friend Gladys Bullock who coined the term;
actively patient. I love it and use it
with abandon. Thanks Gladys.
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