Table of contents
A Lesson in Patience and Perseverance:
The Fable of Buckeye the Hare
Let me tell you a tale of Patience and Perseverance.
A long time ago,
in the not so distant past.
Buckeye the Hare
would run races so fast.
Calming himself,
he could never foresee.
Delightful was the win
that brought others misery.
Elegant and long strides,
his legs would snare.
Faster and Faster, he ran
never showing a care.
With glistening wet beads
that would fly from his wake.
Hastily he moved on,
what a sight to partake.
Impatient was his name,
& running his game.
Joyous feelings were there,
but they too slow for his flame.
With kindred spirits calling,
cheering, and egging him on.
They sounded of whispering echos
of loved one's long gone.
Mother had warned him
to surely smell the flowers.
But there wasn't a moment to spare,
not in the sun or rain showers.
Off to the fields, he ran
to start his joyous race.
Partaking was all commers,
who would never keep pace.
Queued with the tortoise,
he was surely to win.
Dont' they know rabbits are fast,
now let us surely begin.
Soul-shaking the start,
a shot queuing them on.
Thermal heat trails he left
from his speed and his brawn.
Unable to stop,
he ran himself to a stupor,
Victorious he would be
with no tortoise to humor.
Wailing from the race,
he decided to rest.
Xylophones sounding his victory
as he crossed the line at his best.
Yes, the race was take one,
for the world to see.
But zealous, he lost,
causing him pain and misery.
You see, Buckeye the hare
surely didn't care, to
X-Ray the beauty and
see all that was there.
What a difference would make,
if he simply took a moment.
Victorious he would be if he simply
woke up and smelled the roses.
Urges may push us,
to approach things with great haste.
But The tortoise he knows
slow and steady wins the race.
Surely there is a lesson
that we all here can learn.
The fast may be fast,
yet a sure heart has passion to burn.
Quills may be sharp,
and hares may be fast.
But pre-race boasting led
Buckeye to lose his race alas.
Occasionally we must stop,
to see what is there.
No matter what may distract us
remember there always time to spare.
Mother knew best
yet she couldn't forewarn.
Even loving words of wisdom
couldn't stop that Buckeye's fire to burn.
Knowledge may be king,
but one's wisdom is true.
Just is the words of wisdom
that bring light to me and you.
In seeing what's there,
there is beauty to see.
Yet we must ask ourselves
How to sift through the hypocrisy?
Follow with you heart,
let it burn with passion and truth.
For staying true to your path,
allows your dreams to come true.
Everything has its place,
in life's tapestry.
Divinity's love open's the heart
for joyous occasions to see.
Come and sit down,
and please don't make haste.
Maybe even brace yourself
for a more leisurely pace.
Ages have told us
of this divine providence.
Of a Tortoise and a Hare
with a world to convince.
In this day of days,
Let your heart carry the race.
Let your self be carried,
by the lesson of your heart's grace.
And when you start to hurry,
and lose sight of your pace.
Be sure to remember,
slow and steady win the race.
(Dr. Thomas Maples)
Patience, Perseverance, and the Slow and Steady Pace
Inspiring Words of Patience and Perseverance
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
Confucius
I’m a slow walker, but I never walk back.
Abraham Lincoln
Cultivating Patience, A Child’s Boredom
One of my favorite stories was that of the Tortoise and the Hare. It inspired me to write the story of Buckeye the Hare. I often see that beauty exists in turning to simplicity. Perhaps, through good storytelling, we can again arrive at a place where virtues are teachable in a fun fashion. Now, let us explore the moral of the story.
Have you noticed that life seems to be moving at a faster pace? The other day, my teenage son, brought up an interesting point. He spoke about the pace of life and showed surprise at how fast it moved. He reminisced that the next generation doesn’t know life without a screen staring at their face. I believe we are still within his generation. However, he sees a significant difference between children his age and those born post-pandemic.
During that conversation, my son discussed in depth how all video games are already created. He was bored and felt as if nothing new was being developed. However, I see this ennui state as prevalent, as it links to statistical practices that mean to mitigate risk. Operating from a premise of fear, companies often run market analysis during their quest to maximize reward and profit potential. Yet is also stifles creativity in the pursuit of exploring only that which is guaranteed to sell. While my son was exploring a belief that there is nothing new that creates excitement for his generation, he wondered what life would be like for his children. So what can we do to combat the boredom of the new ennui state?
Passion, Perseverance, & The Ennui State
Now, let us examine what we can do with a little boredom. Although I remember themes like this from my general boredom as a teenager, there are lesson present. While nothing seemed right and everything was boring, I found hope in my ability to dream. While I impatiently awaited the ability to get out of town, grow up, and be an adult, I found ways to direction in my life through dreaming. What I did not understand at the time, is that there is validity to the creative function that boredom creates. I understand this to be an inherent psychological truth. Boredom is a necessary part of the fragmentation the psyche needs to leave childhood ways and adapt to adult realities.
It is in boredom where patience is tested. Through the grind of repetition, we sharpen the psyche to what is present. This sharpens the mind to be aware of its environment. It allows us to notice what may not have been present only moments before. Perhaps, from the space of boredom, a spark of passion ignites. The soul prefers flights of fancy towards the realm of spirit to the drudgery of boredom. These flights of fancy represent the power our dreams have upon our personal development.
As we learn to become more passionate about life, patience is tested. This, in turn, creates how grit, or the ability to persevere, arises. However, it is up to us to cultivate these elements as a virtue. Their ability to work us in our developmental plight depends on our ability to work their presence in our lives.
Patience is a Virtue Worth Cultivating
I remember as a child, my mother would often tell me that “Patience is a Virtue.” She encouraged me to nurture my patience. This was especially important during those moments when I would show anything but readily haste to get the job done. She emphasized this lesson despite the interruptions it caused. While I know this to be developmental, impatience forms one way by which we interact with the external world.
Patience is one’s capacity to simply wait and let things unfold. Now this does not mean that we have to be bystanders to life. Instead, patience encourages us to take action. However, it also encourages us to see the reaction. Noticing the reaction helps us decide if we are walking the right path to get to our dreams. If the reaction is swift and negative, it is imperative to change course or action.
Patience and Instant Gratification
To be patient is difficult. Yet, it is a virtue worth cultivating. While we tend to be creatures who need instantaneous gratification, the presence of patience as a virtue is powerful. With patience, we create and engage a more sophisticated psychic landscape. This landscape uses our problem-solving capacity to challenge areas rich for intrapersonal and interpersonal growth. Patience must grow in unison with perseverance. When these virtues work together, we optimize our personal potential by learning a task and doing it well.
Perseverance, a Virtue Worth Cultivating
My wife has a poster that motivated her while she was attending her professional testing. It was a story of all the failures that President Abraham Lincoln underwent. Lincoln’s journey was complicated. He became one of the greatest Presidents in the history of The United States. Yet, the small success he attained was only possible from the frequent failures he endured. Why?
Besides the obvious, Mr. Lincoln pushed himself toward one of the greatest accomplishments an individual can obtain. What set Mr. Lincoln out was his undeniable will to persevere. Despite his failures and life derailments, he pushed on, showing his true skill of forward-thinking. The final citation of the motivation poster reads,
The difference between history’s boldest accomplishments and its most staggering failures is often, simply the diligent will to persevere.
Unknown
Working with Motivation
Now what can we do with motivation like that? I believe we can all use a little of that in the morning, wouldn’t you agree?
Our will to persevere comes from the adversities we face. It is a trait of personality that takes time to hone. It is not something one is born with. With patience, we learn to cultivate perseverance as a skill set. It will take time. However, this is no different of a process than a diamond undertakes to create its brilliant beauty. A diamond takes thousands of years of bone-grinding pressure and heat to exact its brilliance from a piece of coal. Like a diamond, we too can find those glowing embers of passion from the ashes our past helped create.
Concluding Comments
I hope you enjoyed the fable of Buckeye the Hare. In it, I draw attention to a timeless lesson. Patience and perseverance are essential virtues in life. They remind us that slow and steady win the race.
As our world moves at an increasingly fast pace, it is crucial to understand the wisdom of the past. Confucius and Abraham Lincoln emphasized the value of patience and determination. These virtues are in personal development, and in the broader context of societal change and technological advancements.
To nurture patience and perseverance, we need to learn to nurture boredom for the gold it encompasses. At the intersection of boredom and action, patience and perseverance reveal their transformative power. These virtues shape our character. They also help us discover new passions while empowering us to surmount adversities and achieve our goals.
Final Blessings
Through the inspiring tale and insightful reflections, I hope you are encouraged to embrace patience and perseverance. Just like the journey of President Abraham Lincoln, our diligent will to persevere can lead us to extraordinary accomplishments.
Be sure to savor the journey. Appreciate the beauty along the highways and byways your journey leads. Learn from the adage of slow and steady wins the race. Make sure you don’t stop. Even if it is to smell the flowers, which is a good thing, carry on. There will be flowers at the next stop as well. Engage patience, passion, and perseverance, and never walk back. You have been there already. I wonder what is on the other side of the hill.
With gratitude, I hope you embark on the path forward to realize your potential. Embrace the virtues of patience and perseverance and realize our future potential. Create a meaningful vision for our lives, and advance confidently in the direction of those dreams.
Summary Points
More from Dr. Thomas Maples
Find me on Psychology Today
Shop Unique Aromatherapy Candles
Fill Your Glass: The Disciplined Practice of Loving-Kindness – A Sacred Journey: Where Myths Unfold and Potential Awakens
- Fill Your Glass: The Disciplined Practice of Loving-Kindness
- The Architecture of Joy: Navigating Darkness to Find Your Light
- How to Find Spiritual Grounding: Healing a Fractured Soul through Integrity
- The Unshakable Anchor: Building Hope in a Fractured World
- Finding Grace in the Messy: Catholic Wisdom and the Psychology of Intentional Parenting
