Lesson in Patience

Your patience, dedication and focus is where the wealth is.

 
Our nightly routine includes a bath with my daughter, Louise.  This is often one of my favorite times for my daughter to explore, recap the day’s fun and starts the clean slate for tomorrow.
 
Every few weeks, I switch out bath toys so there is always an element of surprise when we enter the bath. My daughter quickly found the yellow beach shovel and has been exploring how to use it. A few days ago, I showed her how I could splash her with it (don’t worry she returned the favor), and I showed her how to scoop water with it. 
 
Tonight was different.  Louise took the orange cup we use to rinse her, and placed it in front of her.  Then she took the shovel and so intently, so slowly, and put the shovel below the water level, scooped the water and started moving it ever so slight to the cup. 
 
Shaky hands
New muscles learning
New muscles growing
 
I swear, the most she ever got in one cup was a tablespoon. 

Some scoops barely had any water left by the time her shaky muscles made it to the cup.

Sometimes, she would even empty the cup and start over. 
 
As I watched, of course I wanted to partake. I wanted to help, but I also didn’t want to take away from her learning.  So I found a little penguin squirter.  I asked if I could help and she shook her head yes (can we just discuss how fun it is to be able to ask yes and no questions now….)
 
As I slowly squeezed all the air out of its belly, I waited for the water to fill it back up.  Then I squirted what little water I managed to gather into the cup.
 
I took a second to capture what was really happening here, first hand. 
 
I saw the dedication on my daughter’s face. 
I felt the focus in her eyes.
I heard the determination in her muscles after every drop of water was poured into that cup.
 
This was patience and opportunity in the simplest form. 
 
THIS captivates our financial journey in life. 
 
Not once in Louise’s adventure of filling her cup, did she think she couldn’t do it.
 
She knew what she wanted, and just kept taking the steps to getting her there. 
 
Often times, we get so excited when we’ve taken on a new adventure, right?
 
Sometimes, yes, a little scared, but more often than not, we have butterflies in our hearts and motivation in our souls. 
 
Then we start doing.
We second guess ourselves. 
We tell ourselves it shouldn’t take this long. 
We beat ourselves up over the actions and behaviors that have put us here in the first place. 
 
But here’s the thing, our financial situation is not a reflection of who we are of.  
 
It doesn’t define us, it merely tells us just where we’ve been. 
 
It by NO MEANS tells us where we are going.
 
Taking a lesson from my 16 month old—
 
Your patience, dedication and focus is where the wealth is.
 
Setting a goal, knowing what you want and how you want to feel. 
Taking baby steps toward this goal. 
 
UNDERSTANDING that sometimes we:
 
Have full shovels worth of progress
Have only a tablespoon worth
And even sometimes we dump our own cup. 
 
The thing here is to keep going-nomatterwhat. 
 
Pick up the fallen cup. 
Dig another scoop of water.
 
You CAN do this. 
 
Start now---

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I am with you on this journey.
I believe in you.  

virtual high five,
Liza