The Two Most Powerful Warriors

 

 "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” ~ Leo Tolstoy

“Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait.” ~ Leo Tolstoy

Once upon a time, a yogi used to sit at the side of a river bank all day, muttering and shouting in a loud voice from time to time – “You will get whatever you want.”

Passersby thought he was insane and would laugh at him as they went their way.

One day, a young unemployed man was passing that way and stopped to listen when the yogi shouted. When he heard the yogi say ‘you will get whatever you want’, the young man was intrigued and came to where the yogi was seated. He asked him, “Will I be able to get whatever I want? Can you give me what I want?”

The yogi responded, “Yes, but first, tell me what it is you want.”

“I want to become a big diamond dealer one day. Can you fulfill my wish?” the young man asked.

The yogi responded “I will give you a diamond and a pearl. Make as many diamonds and pearls as you want.” He then asked the young man to hold out both his hands, palms facing up. On his right palm, the yogi placed his palm in the boy’s and said, “Son, this is the most precious diamond in this world. This diamond is called ‘TIME’. Hold it tightly in your fist. With this, you can make as many diamonds as you wish. Don’t ever let it out of your hands.”

He placed his palm in the other outstretched palm and said, “Son, this is the most precious pearl in the world. It is called ‘PATIENCE’. When the desired result is not achieved, wear this pearl called Patience. If you have this pearl with you, you can achieve whatever you want in this world.”

Having listened carefully, the young man thanked the yogi and left. He left with a daily mantra that he used to recite – “Never let your time go to waste and don’t give up on patience in difficult times. Success will definitely come.”

Later, he found a job working for a diamond merchant. After working for some years, he learned the trade and saved enough to start in business for himself. Eventually, he achieved his dream of becoming a big diamond dealer.

A new year is underway and with it a chance to try again or try anew. This week I am completing a crochet project that started with just one stitch but is ending up as a massive work of wool art. Without patience, the tedium of turning line after line, repeating stitch after stitch, sometimes working for 4 hours straight only to move 4 inches! It takes time – hours and hours; and patience – bucket loads. But the effort is worth it when a beautiful hand-made work of art is finally handed over to its owner.

Life is no different. You want a degree? It’s class after class, paper after paper, test after test. You want a six-pack? Early rising, painful repetitive breathtaking workouts await you – over and over again. It gets more demanding if you are raising young responsible people or building a life with a spouse. Time and patience must be employed over and over again. There is no quick fix.

The young man eventually succeeded. It is now your turn. Why don’t you borrow his precious diamond and pearl? Number your days and hold on to hope and faith.

“Your now isn’t your always.” ~ Molly M. Cantrell-Kraig