The Speed of the Present – ElPropósito3 min de lectura

How patience lets our experiences unfold

Photo by Luca Campioni on Unsplash

Discomfort is a natural reaction when an experience unsettles us, affects us or stretches us. We tend to want every trace of unease gone, and in the rush we miss what all the sensations, perceptions and observations that come with it could teach us. Stuck in a pessimistic frame, we see what hurts most and overlook the learning and the future that could follow. Here’s the main payoff of cultivating patience with the present.

We’ve sold speed as the way to get results and left out something important: wellbeing. Fixating on speed makes us miss so much we could enjoy along the way. Obsessing over how fast we reach the finish line pulls our attention from the countless moments that make up the route. Lived with full attention, those moments deliver the result too, plus more wellbeing and deeper self-awareness.

Right now especially, we know how much speed and effectiveness matter. We clearly need answers, and above all a cure. Deep down, though, what we really want is a cure that works and a wait that was worth it. Waiting has given us the chance to cultivate patience, and that may be the biggest lesson our generation takes from all this.

No one can promise what the so-called "new normal" will look like. What we have, and will keep having, is an uncertain future, and the only thing we truly own is the present. When we value patience above speed, we bring balance to the road and prepare ourselves for a good measure of satisfaction, or acceptance, when the final result arrives. Our main job is to focus on what’s on the table and in our hands. Tomorrow will bring its own nature and its own demands.

Patience has to come before the erratic nature of our thoughts. Focusing on each step we want to take gets us to results with just the right effort. That builds self-confidence and a clearer view of the steps we’ve already taken and what they gave us, and of the ones we can take with more awareness.

Warm regards and all the best,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S. This week’s VELA:

• What I’ve been Viewing: What can we control? A short, powerful video from Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence institute. Well worth watching now, while the pandemic shows us so clearly what we can and can’t control.
• What I’ve been Listening to: The Art of Being Happy, Arthur Schopenhauer. A great audiobook with a set of rules worth hearing (or reading). I’ve already ordered the book, and it’s going on my must-read list. A great find.
• What I’ve been Reading: Estados Unidos: La historia. Two weeks on the same book. The details take up most of my time, especially digging deeper and connecting the dots across its huge number of anecdotes and historical facts. Above all, it helps me read today’s politics in light of the past. Highly recommended.
• What I’ve been Learning: Braille. This tactile reading system has always been a mystery to me, and today I decided to learn at least the basics. I’m especially drawn to building a skill that’s the exact opposite of how I usually learn.

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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