I think it was Kaylee’s first day working the register. The long line certainly didn’t ease any of her nervousness as she cautiously entered each item into the POS terminal.

Everyone in line demonstrated an admirable level of patience as she worked under the guidance of the store manager standing by her side. Even I demonstrated my own admirable level of patience as I awaited Kaylee to ring up the two large iced teas I held in my hands. Patience in these types of situations wasn’t something I was known for. Age brings with it a new level of awareness and maturity and I was able to give Kaylee the space she deserved to be new at something.

Hey, at some point in our lives we’ve all been new at something, right?

But did we always give ourselves a safe space for us to be new at something? To allow ourselves to be imperfect in the process?

Sometimes New comes with the expectation that I will seamlessly grasp that something New rather quickly. That my learning curve will not be a curve at all. That I am somehow exempt from the process of becoming highly proficient at something new.

Sometimes New comes with the pre-conceived expectation that I’m simply not going to ever be good at this something New. That doubt and limiting beliefs will defeat me before I’ve actually started. That actually starting is just a waste of time because I already know what the results will be.

I’ve experienced both the arrogant expectations of instant mastery as well as the self-defeated expectations of doubting that I ever could.

What if I simply gave myself a safe space to try something New without the emotional baggage and expectations I’ve often taken with me?

Learning is a process. It’s cumulative. And while logically we tend to understand this, how often do our beliefs and expectations emotionally override the logic and send us into a tailspin of anger, frustration, disappointment, and bitterness?

On my meandering journey of attempting to take better emotional care of me I’ve learned how important being patient with me and my evolution is. Of compassionately and kindly creating safe spaces for me to embrace that uncomfortable position where as a beginner I don’t yet actually know how to do what it is I am attempting to do. Where imperfection is understood to be part of the process.

I’m not done being new at things. I’m not done learning and growing and evolving. The more space and patience I give to me, the more enthusiastic and willing I am to further embrace my growth and evolution.

Growth isn’t linear.

Give yourself the space to let it be that way.

Sometimes, as Axl Rose has said, all we need is just a little patience.

Photo by Galina Kondratenko on Unsplash

Leave a comment