When I was 11 a ping pong table fell on me, trapping me underneath it for what felt like an eternity. The worst part of this was not that it happened during a blizzard, but that it occurred during the winter that I was in the sixth grade.

You see this was the year where I was the best.

In CYO Basketball. They break the teams out like this: grades 1, 2, and 3 play together; grades 4, 5, and 6; and then the final grades of 7 and 8 are clumped up.

Being in the sixth grade as a really great athlete put me in the position of starter, of lead defensive player, and as a team leader. My coach loved me and knew I was on the road to be great.

So much so that after it happened he even came to my house to see if it was really true!

“How could you do this?” he asked. “How COULD I do this?” I wondered.

I was miserable. I had to sit on the bench as my team entered the play-offs. My cast felt like a prison sentence. I was useless on the sidelines and unable to do anything to help my team. We wound up losing that first play-off game and to this day I wonder if things would have been different if I had played.

This memory reminds me of life as a nurse, life in the healthcare arena.

How many times do we want something to happen? A patient to get well and go home; a promotion that you really, really want; a change that you feel has to happen at your organization.

What opportunity are we gifted with in these moments?

A chance at patience. A reminder that we (our egos) are not the ones creating the show. A lesson of letting go of attachment, releasing the need to get our way.

Patience. How can one little word create such a feeling of discomfort? Why do we want things to happen right now, just as we want them to?

I’ve got to tell you I’m raising my hand here too. Patience is one of my greatest teachers, one that I continue to welcome every single day.

Holding onto attachment is one of the greatest forms of debilitation. Hanging on creates tension, aches, and pains. Being unable to let go can cause dis-ease on every level.

So what’s a nurse to do?

Well actually I’d love to hear from you in this post! While I usually share tips of teaching; I’d love if we could all chime in. How do you practice patience? What helps you let go of unnecessary stress? What helps you wait and trust in the flow of life? I invite you to leave a comment below. Let’s have a discussion. Enjoy your health today.