Do you ever get impatient and wish to speed up time?
It can kind of suck when you are working so hard for something, and then it feels like it takes forever. Or you are waiting on something, and you start to lose faith or hope that it will actualize.
I have been there. Too many times to count. If someone were to ask me, “Melinda, what’s your biggest struggle?” I would answer, “Time.”
I remember when I noticed my first pineapple upon moving to the Keys. I was house-sitting for a couple who traveled a lot and noticed that they were growing a pineapple in the backyard. I wasn’t aware that you could grow a pineapple here, and I was fascinated.
I knew that pineapples took a dang long time to grow — sometimes as long as 24 months. I checked on the pineapple every time I stopped by their house. Sometimes, I drove by to check on it as an extra stop and didn’t go inside the house.
One time, I remember finding one of those big ugly teeth coconut rats dead by the pineapple, and I freaked out. I wanted to make sure it was safe. Weird, right? That rat was ugly! Have you ever seen those? Yuck!
When the pineapple was ripe, the homeowners were still out of town. They told me I could take it home and eat it. To be honest, I wasn’t into harvesting and eating it. I had a little anxiety.
Why? Because then this lovely pineapple was gone. The growth was over, and pineapples only bear fruit once. Its journey would be over. Complete. The joy was in watching this pineapple grow, nurturing it and making sure it was safe.
So here I am, protecting the growth of this pineapple. I tended to it. I watched over it. I appreciated its growth over time. Trepidatious to harvest it.
But, I treat my growth as a giant race and rush to get to the finish line. I have been known to be anxious to get to the next step. I have often let my brain overturn my intuition. I was not taking time to decide as if the world is not abundant and it will be there tomorrow. Can you relate?
Why do we do that to ourselves? Is it how we are wired from childhood? Societal pressures to live up to some standard? Pressure from social media? Why?
I have done a lot of work and learned not to focus on time. Also, not to let other people and their goal-setting memes, quotes, podcasts and videos consume my thoughts. If it feels good, then that’s cool. If not, the work was to let it go. And yes, it’s work — every day.
May is Mental Health Awareness month. The pressure we put on ourselves falls into this bucket. Mental health awareness covers many aspects and should be recognized daily, not just in May, but I will take this platform now. Understanding that things take time and giving ourselves the grace to be patient on this journey is essential for our mental state.
So, if you can relate and this is something you struggle with, know you are not alone and give yourself grace. It will all work out!
