“Do you
have the patience to wait until your mud settles and your mind is clear? Can
you remain unmoving until the right action arises by itself?” ~ Lao Tzu
This is
a question that presents a challenge because we live in a modern age where
everything happens in an instant. If our computers are slow or our texts aren’t
answered immediately we feel impatient. The instant the red light turns green
if we don’t take off right away we get honked at. We hate to wait in line for
anything. Cultivating and practicing patience takes . . . patience! Often, I’ve
had to remind myself of the advice a friend gave me some years ago, that has
prevented me from making snap decisions I’d regret later. Her two words are
simple: “wisdom waits.” The theme of practicing patience and waiting for the
right moment to act appears throughout “GOOD FORTUNE.” Here are two examples:
Page 32 - Grandfather is instructing young Tong
on the virtues of patience and quiet thoughts as a way to settle his mind so he
can “hear” what he must do.
“Listen for your inner voice to guide you.
Trust your instinct.” As if it were yesterday, Tong remembered Grandfather’s
voice instructing him when he was ten. “It may be no more than a whisper, but
if your intent is pure, you will hear the voice clearly.
Follow where it leads you.”
“I’ve tried, Grandfather, but I hear nothing,”
Tong insisted with frustration. “What am I doing wrong?”
“If you try too hard, the noise from your
thoughts will obliterate all other sounds, thus making it impossible for you to
hear your heart speak.”
Pages
160-161 - Much later in the story, Tong’s son, Wu, enters his bedroom to share
an intense dream where he actually sees his Great-grandfather whom he’s never
met. At first this seems like the perfect opportunity for Tong to have an
important discussion with his son that has been on his mind for years. With Tong’s
advancing age his declining health, he feels the urgency to pass on the wisdom
Grandfather taught him. Tong is bitterly disappointed when he realizes the
conversation he has waited for years isn’t going to take place. Patience is his
only solace.
“In
that instant, Tong's hopes shattered like a crystal vase that fell to the floor
and splintered into a thousand tiny shards of glass. Bitter disappointment replaced
hope when he realized the conversation he had so often prayed for was not going
to take place that morning. He was so close to saying the words he’d kept
bottled up inside him, and they were almost out of his mouth when he was forced
to swallow them. Tong knew that in order for Wu to fully comprehend what he
wanted to teach him, his son would first have to have an open mind or his words
would fall on deaf ears and be wasted like spilled water. Now, any further
attempt to pursue this line of thought or explain that the dream foreshadowed
Wu’s future would be futile. Above all else, Tong desired to teach his son what
he still lacked in perception and values, but once again, he would have to be
patient and wait for the right moment.”
Some reviews:
"Synchronicity, life lessons,
multi-cultural, patience, acceptance and much, much more ... all woven together
into a masterfully told story ... what's not to love ... I did and I think you
will too."
"...one will find him-or herself
reflecting upon their own life experiences. Finally, it is a pleasure to read a
book with a positive and uplifting outcome. Definitely recommended!"
Leslie Bratspis, Author
"GOOD FORTUNE" is available at Amazon.com & Kindle, Barnes&Noble.com & Nook, Smashwords.com
By request from your local bookstore
