Patience

“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.”

Lao Tzu

Hello Dear Ones,

I don’t know about your journey dear one, but for me, the hardest of Lao Tzu’s lessons has been patience. 

The world we live in today honestly supports all of us in a mindset of instant gratification. Want to watch a movie, find out where it’s streaming. You can get almost anything you want or need delivered to your door in a couple of days or sometimes even hours. 

It’s hard to be patient in today's world when in so many ways we don’t have to be. And it’s important to remember that so much of our lives doesn’t work the same way of instant satisfaction. 

With behavior change for example, we may see the positive impacts right away, or they may take some time. Just because we don’t see the change happening instantly, it doesn’t mean we should throw in the towel altogether or switch our strategy. It definitely doesn’t mean that we should give up. Sometimes, we need to be patient and consistent to see the results of the work we are doing. 

I recently experienced this with a plant I was gifted in mid-December. It was a cutting I wanted to propagate from a friend. For months, I kept the plant in water, and no roots developed. I’d get frustrated and contemplate tossing it in the compost bin.

I could see that new leaves were still sprouting though, and I knew there had been successful propagations from this plant before, so I stayed hopeful. I made sure it had fresh water and changed the jar every once in a while. 

Finally, in late June, one tiny root sprouted from the bottom. I got so excited! I didn’t have what I needed to repot it, so I left it in the water with a plan to pot it soon. Today, the roots look like this. So many have developed in such a short time! I’m ready to pot it, and it’s going to keep thriving. 

This was a gentle reminder to me that even in my everyday work and life, what I’m doing may not always seem fruitful. I may not be getting major instantaneous results, and that can be frustrating. And yet there’s still hope. 

The small actions I’m taking over time with different habits and actions are painting a bigger picture I can’t see clearly…yet. The time will come when it all makes sense, and until then, it’s up to me to stay present and enjoy the journey. 

I wonder, dear one, is there something in your life you’ve been rushing towards, something you’re feeling impatient about? If this resonates with you I’d love to hear from you. Reply to this e-mail or schedule a call with me here. 

Lastly, I’ve got some information this week that I’m bursting to share! 

This past week, The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches (NB-HWC) informed us that those with the credentials can accept clients using Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). All that is needed is a letter of medical necessity that coaching will benefit the client related to a chronic health condition that can be positively impacted through a lifestyle medicine approach.

If finances have been a reason you’ve felt you haven’t had access to Health and Wellness coaching, I encourage you to reach out and explore what investing in your personal health and well-being could look like. If it turns out I’m not a good fit as a coach for you, I’m happy to offer resources for you to find a coach who is.

If you’re an action taker like me, and there’s something you know you’re ready to commit to prioritizing your health and feeling your best, I’ve got three spots open for new clients right now for my signature 100 day program. Think of where you could be 100 days from now!

As always, I’m so grateful for your presence here.

With love and kindness,

Jessica

P.S.

The super fun thing I’ve been doing lately is experimenting in the kitchen! Ill be sharing my favorites here with you. Most recently, I’ve been making my own jam. Just a few ingredients and you’ve got the best jam I’ve ever had!

Recipe:

2 cups fruit (berries or cherries pictured below)

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp chia seeds

I’ve been putting the fruit and maple syrup in the pot and bringing it to a boil for about 8 min and mashing up the fruit. Then I’ve been putting it in a bowl and adding the chia seeds. After that you can put it in the fridge for a couple of weeks or freeze it if you’ve got a lot of it.