Standing in line waiting to board a flight from San Francisco to Philadelphia. I hate waiting in line. I just want to get in the plane and get settled. And no, I'm not worried about bringing bags on the plane, I check them.
But can I learn from this? Yep. Though we live in a society that provides immediate gratification it's not good for us. We don't learn the discipline of delayed gratification, the upside of waiting for something.
I've written about the powerful research on grit, the characteristic of perseverance and drive that can be tested in toddlers. Grit has been directly linked with academic and job success. What I'm curious about is whether that characteristic can be developed in adulthood.
I have to believe that consistently disciplining myself to work toward long term goals and developing the patience necessary to gain something more than a quick fix would help build grit. Even learning how to patiently stand in line might help. In the long term this helps both success and even perhaps well being.
Okay so I'm trying. Breathe in, breathe out. But I wish they'd board this flight. Guess I've got work to do on my waiting.
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