Being Patient

How many times in life have we experienced circumstances that felt awful? A break up with a loved one, the loss of a job, a medical crisis and so on. Avoiding judgement when the situation is unfolding can stave off much suffering. A good example of this concept is in this Eckhart Tolle “story of a wise man who won an expensive car in a lottery. His family and friends were very happy for him and came to celebrate. “Isn’t it great!” they said. “You are so lucky.” The man smiled and said, “Maybe.” For a few weeks he enjoyed driving the car. Then one day a drunken driver crashed into his new car at an intersection and he ended up in the hospital, with multiple injuries. His family and friends came to see him and said, “That was really unfortunate.” Again the man smiled and said, “Maybe.” While he was still in the hospital, one night there was a landslide and his house fell into the sea. Again his friends came the next day and said, “Weren’t you lucky to have been here in hospital.” Again he said, “Maybe.”(Source)”.

We don’t always know how our life situations are interconnected. Enjoying the moment we are in and appreciating having the experience can lead to greater life satisfaction.