The Potter's Wheel, A Slow Work in Progress.

Patience. A single word that can amount to so much. It is the difference between making it, or not making it in many aspects of our human existence. Patience is the evidence of faith, and faith is the evidence of confidence in something larger. Confidence in your abilities, your strengths, and even your weaknesses. Confidence in becoming "all you where created to be." Confidence in small changes that must take place to achieve a greater reality. It is a slow work in progress. That "extra effort" it takes to makes the outcome more valuable. Patience breeds excellence. It requires the fine art of human discipline. Letting go of the immediate gratification process, and embracing "the actual process."

"Mastery"... It just doesn't "happen."It requires skill, time, timing, patience, fortitude, discipline and sacrifice.

I know in my daily experience, sometimes I get ahead of myself. I forget that each day is a step in a process to achieve my goals. I get trapped in staring "way down the road,"or so it seems. Not fully appreciating the "now." Big mistake! By focussing so far down the road, am I truly doing my best for "NOW?" Probably not. I'm losing some of life's precious moments living ahead of myself- wanting tomorrow, today!! Much like a little kid in a candy store, looking for something more, when I already have all I need....?

It seems we are so used to immediate results, it is hard to commit to anything that requires true fortitude.
So, without throwing away the dreams, and ideals, let's focus on a day at a time. Sometimes even a second at a time. Small steps, big picture.

I like to do this with my clients. Looking at he big picture, what does it take? For example, the goal is weight loss. Let's specify the amount of weight and the time frame.  Is it reasonable and healthy goal? Are there ways we can quantify our results on the way to our goals? We can do body fat testing, weighing and measuring.  What does it take to achieve the goal?  A step by step approach to fitness and nutritional milestones that will eventually achieve the necessary calories deficit to achieve a healthy, but enjoyable journey to the "big picture."What obstacles can you anticipate?" ( Examples of these would be life's many happenings such as dinner out, parties, emotional events, menu planning for the family and even work schedules.) What can you do about the obstacles, now that you can identify them?This requires diligence on your behalf to realize this work based on your choices. You choose what you do, You can plan your "choices" ahead of time so that you are prepared with how to handles life's little whammies, and yes, they will happen! Strategies are everything.

Every bit as important as having a strategy, is reviewing the strategy. Perfecting it. Taking out the small things that can "blindside" your efforts, frustrating your efforts.   I like to review the week with my clients, and their victories and their downfalls.  Examining different choices. Did you achieve your weekly goals? How did you overcome difficulties? How can we improve in the next week? Small steps. Yes, the big picture is great, but let us enjoy and celebrate the small victories along the way!! These pebbles are what are lives are composed of. Breathing in and out, each breath is a victory. We are alive and capable of our destinies. We are all given gifts. We can nurture these gifts, fine tune them into a "big picture" victory. This requires diligence, faith and patience. Sometimes it is just sitting still. Waiting. Sometimes it requires purposeful action. But it will require a bit of both to become that final work of art. It takes a lifetime to get there. Day by day. We are all a work in progress.
It is your choice if you desire to be a rare gift, or just another ordinary vessel on the shelf of life.