On Building Character

“Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength” - Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

This quote really touched me, but initially I wasn’t sure why. So I did a little research:

c.1225, "quality of being patient in suffering," from O.Fr. pacience, from L. patientia "patience, endurance," from patientem (nom. patiens), prp. of pati "to suffer, endure"

‘quality of being patient in suffering’
‘to suffer, endure’

I had no idea. I guess there are many things we could learn from studying the etymology of a word.

If this is the case, then patience is not only a virtue; it is a trait that should qualify one for sainthood. It is easy to see why Bulwer-Lytton implies that patience is active - a ‘concentrated strength’; for in order to achieve it, we must endure through the pain of waiting, as usually that which we seek may not happen right away.

Next time you are standing in line at the store or the bank, stopped at the intersection impatiently watching the traffic signals, or sitting in a dark room at midnight waiting for a child or spouse to come home, think of what you are really doing. Is the choice you are making passive: as in you are willing to allow things to happen and accept all that comes from it? Or are you being active and participating in what has happened, what will happen, and more importantly how you will react to it? I don’t believe there is a right or wrong here; it is simply that we always have a choice and no matter what choice we make, we must learn to abide by what comes of it.

I must admit, I am weak sometimes and do not have the strength to deal with some of curves that life throws my way. I defer to others to help, or even make, some of the hard decisions for me. That being said, I know I can never complain about the outcome, because I made the choice to be passive instead of active in the process.

If we take the time to think things through, to apply all that we have learned from the mistakes we have made, and use all the strength we possess to wait when we feel that things in our life should be happening a lot sooner than they are; then patience is truly virtuous and makes us stronger than we could ever have thought possible.

Patience is indeed active, even if it feels like all we are doing is nothing; because in the grand scheme of things, we are not. We are quietly building character. And what could be better than that?

An Open Invitation

Prompt provided by BlogFriday

Please note that the door is open for a reason. The company was nice - for a while. But I’ve had enough. Please leave. My thoughts and I really need to have some privacy. Sorry to be such a downer, but this party is now over. I think you should have guessed that when I took Pity by the ear and threw her out the window. Don’t worry about her though, I live on the first floor, and she seems like one to always land on her feet. Who invited her anyway? As for Doubt and Insecurity, I think they snuck out ages ago. Come on, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out they were that into each other.

Why does everyone have to stare? Oh, I see. It must be hilarious to see someone lose their mind, but it’s not so funny watching them come to their senses. Tough. Go on. There’s the door. Pride is even holding it open for you. Which I think is nice after what Inhibition said about him. Look, I’m done with being nice. Please. Leave. What open invitation? I don’t know where you got that idea, but it’s not true – at least not any more. Tomorrow, I am getting a lock for that door. Until then, you emotions will just have to grow up and realize that you can’t just go partying anywhere you want.

Whew. They’re gone. Oh, damn, look at the mess. Pride? You’re still here? Help? Why of course, I would love some. Not that I deserve it seeing as I pretty much ignored you the whole time. Well, I’m glad you stuck around. I don’t think I could do this without you. And what I said about that open invitation? It doesn’t apply to you. Not ever.

A Childs Treasure

Prompt provided by BlogFriday. This word for this week is "clean".

Child of the pure unclouded brow
And dreaming eyes of wonder!
Though time be fleet, and I and thou
Are half a life asunder,
Thy loving smile will surely hail
The love-gift of a fairy tale.
- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

A Child's Treasure

Young of heart, pure and clean,
unfettered by convention,
think of only happy things
and naught of apprehension.

Time betwixt thy life and mine
is great but not worth noting,
for in our minds eternal thoughts
live on, forever floating.

O child so sweet and fair of mind
whose soul is yet unhurried,
listen to my rhyming words
let not your heart be worried.

A smile is all I need to start
this fairy tale of wonder;
a story wrought in simple prose
which logic cannot plunder.

For worlds in dreams are wondrous things
no words could ever measure,
but this should never keep the heart
from discovering its treasure.