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“Go, Go, Go!”

I’ve always self described myself as a very impatient person, that’s the way I’ve been described by those closest to me. Part of the reason why I’m in Mexico during a global lockdown. I always need to be moving on to the next thing, trying to compact as much as possible in the smallest time frame.I lack the patience to sit and wait things out as most everyone else is doing.

Recently though as I was muddying though guitar cords, I casually asked one of the people I was living with if he knew how to play the guitar. He told me no, never had the patience. And that really struck me. It has dawned upon me that there are 2 types of patience.

1st Type of Patience: Sit & Wait

The first type is the type of patience where you are able to sit still for extended periods of time. Quite often this involves doing a task that many see as being tedious, say being in a classroom listening to a teacher talk for extended periods of time. Or a hunter waiting for prey to come in sight may be required for long stretches.

In both these instances, the virtue of having this first type of patience means a productive, worthwhile objective is achieved at the end of it. For your troubles of sitting and listening to a not so interesting lecture on a consistent basis, you may learn something useful or at the very least get a better grade then if you had not.

While the hunter that has been alert, patiently waiting for prey with perhaps bugs, in the sun/snow/rain, is rewarded with the food he was going after.

Of course this type of patience sometimes involves being able to sit and wait with no clear reward at the end, for instance, the “shelter in place” orders many people have been put under is a prime example.

2nd Type of Patience: No Promises

Now with the second type of patience, it shares similarities with the first type, but the key difference is that you are actively engaged doing some task. That is, rather then being like the hunter or student sitting still and seemingly doing nothing, you are actively putting in blood, sweat and tears to reach some objective, whatever that may be. It could be reaching some notable achievement or obtaining some skill.

And this is the patience I personally have from learning:

• Public Speaking as an English Teacher
• Muay Thai
• Salsa
• And now the guitar among other things

These skill sets are vastly different, but achieving them is through the application of the same formula, that is you put in both the time and effort with the later keeping your mind actively engaged in problems that arise.

All the while it requires you to have faith in your own abilities because ultimately there is no guarantee that you will succeed in your undertaking.

Now why is all of this important?

Well I will yet again bring in Stephen Covey, he said in his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, begin with the end in mind. Having that skill or achievement you want, whether food on the table or learning something new, now its a matter of how do you go about achieving it.

What tools are needed? And as it will take time to get there, which type of patience is needed? How do I compensate for what I need but don’t got?

And an analysis for these questions will be left for a later time.

Kingston S. Lim

July 27, 2020

Sitpatch, Mexico

Life Update: I’ve been in this, well garden for almost 2 weeks. The people here have been fairly kind. And I’ve learned a few things from wacking bushes with a machete to using a lawn mowing machine and some practical Spanish. I move on in a few days. I really don’t think this farming thing is for me, besides the beating sun, I find the “honest labor” kind of boring.

My mind has been wandering on the other things I want to do after this farming stint.

About Kingston’s Journey Series: Kingston’s Journey is a lifelong series. This is the travel journal I take with me. Whether you have questions such as how to change my life or how to travel the world, I think you’ll find value in the life lessons I’ve experienced and documented in this travel notebook. They may serve as travel inspiration for you. In Chinese, there is a saying, “讀萬卷書,不如行千里路.”

This means, instead of reading ten thousand books, why don’t you walk a thousand miles. This is my inspiration to travel every nation (or as many as possible) in my pursuit of my global MBA by learning as much as possible and recording these life lessons learned only by travel. In the end, I think the achievement of dreams, personal growth & aspirations out there through travel and adventure will lead to a more fulfilling life. Living and experiencing the “now” is how I’ll make my life a great memory in the future.