Patience

As I was on a conference call in my boss's office today, I noticed a spider clinging to a web outside the window. We have had howling winds here for a couple of days, so clinging to this webbed sail was no small feat. As I watched, the spider worked its way around to an unlucky insect that had found itself trapped in this sticky web, unable to free itself. As the wind whipped around, flinging the spider and it's catch to and fro, it slowly but steadily bound up its bundle for a midnight snack. I was amazed at how this spider never gave up, it just kept working its way along, however long it took.

Lesson learned: Be patient. Quality work sometimes takes time, particularly if the path is not smooth.

Even in these tenuous conditions, that spider took its time and methodically ensnared its next meal. It didn't worry that the next insect would be blown away, or that it might lose its grip and fall two stories to its death. No, it just kept plodding, until everything was wrapped in a nice tight little bundle.

It made me think of times I have rushed through a project so that I could move on to the next one, showing how much I could accomplish in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, all this does is make you tired, and very unfulfilled. Why not slow down a little, enjoy doing high-quality work, and bask in the accomplishment itself?

From the time I was small, I was always rushing around. My mom's two most frequent phrases were, "Walk, don't run," and "Patience, Prudence." Mom must have been paying attention to the spiders; I guess it's time that I did, too.

Until later,

Steph