What Fifty Years of Compassionate Impatience Can Get You

By | October 14, 2018

In this country, three factions can get away with telling the truth- mentally insane, small children and old folks.

If you live long enough, you will get to spend some time in each category.

Currently, I live and play behind door # 3.

As I age, I find no reason to agree to bullshit I find annoying, pointless and just plain stupid.

Just recently, I was privy to a situation that hit all three previously mentioned points.

In an effort to prepare my phone for my first trip to Europe, I stopped by my carriers store.

Watching a group of twenty-somethings move as if they were going to a death march after moving through a vat of molasses was entertaining and annoying.

I remarked to my husband that not one person moved with any purpose or urgency.

Don’t worry, T-Mobile will get a colorful letter in the next day or two.

When I was younger, I didn’t want to make a fuss- maybe someone would get fired.

When I was a young person, I got fired repeatedly.

At some point, I realized it was me and that I better get my shit together cause nobody was coming to help (read save) me.

Even though I had this realization, I didn’t focus on getting a serious amount of skills.

I wasted a crapload of time trying to be right and outwit supervisors, companies, and coworkers.

At fifty, I know recognize my anxiousness and my commitment to action is not arrogance (as people have referred to it) or something to do to pass the time.

It is what I lovingly refer to as Compassionate Impatience.

Compassionate Impatience is not a hurry up and wait philosophy.

Nor is it hand wringing and praying that somebody somewhere will do something.

It is a commitment to action and moving on things before we feel ready and not allowing fear to stop us.

It is not unplanned, piss poor decision making that results in pointless risks and unplanned for consequences.

It is the bias towards action.

It is obtaining enough information to move on something and then moving.

All the while knowing that things will not be perfect and will need to be adjusted along the way.

This new type of thinking and acting means we spend very little time thinking and committee making and more time actually getting shit done.

We get it done instead of talking about getting it done.

What I am proposing is a new way of being.

A way of being where mistakes and missteps are welcomed and encouraged.

Mistakes can be corrected and improved upon.

No action and having done nothing doesn’t leave much room for feedback or an opportunity to improve your performance or decision making skills

Compassionate Impatience means we no longer wait for permission to go after that dream job.

Compassionate Impatience means we get mentally healthy (no matter what) so that we can become a great partner instead of looking for one.

Compassionate Impatience means we recognize the fragility of life and that none of us are immortal so we nurture our relationships and wisely and methodically handle our finances so that we are not a burden to others as we age.

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