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Cultivating Patience to Gain Self-Control: 5 Lessons From Avocado Seeds

When we try to cultivate patience to gain self-control it can be a difficult task. To cultivate means to prepare or nurture something, more so in a way of practicing. Putting forth continuous effort with your mind equips you with the ability to wait for something valuable as a result. Patience isn’t patience without the presence of other major characteristic developments such as endurance, contentment, self-control, and resisting instant gratification. When coupled together, the end result is what’s most rewarding.

Choosing to Change By Cultivating Patience

I decided to plant and care for avocado seeds because I love to eat avocados for their health perks. Also, I am deeply intrigued by time-lapse videos of plants growing from seeds. I was so excited and curious to see first-hand how this process would go. But I also was unaware of the change that was looming within myself. I gently pressed toothpicks through each seed to balance them on the rims of water-filled vases to soak.

Weeks went by as I watched them in the window bathing in sunlight while taking in considerable amounts of water. As crazy as it may seem, I noticed something about myself as I stalked these seeds. Surprisingly, I found that I didn’t possess the patience I believed myself to have, especially as a mother of three. I quickly became impatient and was ready to get rid of the fruit seeds. All of this because I wasn’t seeing changes based on what I perceived as plenty of time to change.

The Benefits of Endurance, Contentment, and Self-Control

This image shows the start of an avocado seed breaking open to change and grow into a plant.

Endurance helps people to stand firm against struggles and trials knowing that there is good at the end. In my case, the desire for instant gratification or the sense of urgency of the need and want to see change or have something right now at this moment. Endurance trains you to look ahead to what you know to be the real reward in the end. When I began this seed planting journey I knew exactly what I wanted to see. I wanted to see what kind of leaves were going to emerge from these massive round seeds.

So, I changed my thoughts and I endured with my mind’s eye set to the future. Once I began to enjoy the process, the avocado seeds each changed by slowly splitting open down the middle, sprouting roots first, and lastly came the huge green leaves. This whole process took over 8 months for some and one year for others. As the seeds were allowed to go through their change I felt myself changing with them. This process gave me a better view of myself and life. Endurance gave me space to experience contentment, resulting in stronger self-control.

This image shows the complete transformation of an avocado seed into a blooming plant.
Endurance

5 Lessons I’ve Learned From Avocado Seeds

1. A person’s lack of patience with those around them can hinder a necessary process from fully taking place. I chose to give things a chance by slowing down. Soaking yourself into the things that you need most will help you to grow.

2. Practicing endurance is the start of patience and the beginning of strength.

3. During this change I became content. As a result, this enabled me to be happy and satisfied with where I was in my process of growth. Watching the leaves bloom was an extra bonus to witness another life bloom.

4. I learned that self-control is a strength that has to be built up every day and instant gratification has no place where beauty and value are the results of long, hard work.

5. It is important to know that everyone and everything grows in its own time and we just have to supply love and kindness to cultivate patience.

For more on love, patience, and kindness you can click the link and follow my poetry page.http://www.instagram.comross/family430

Natasha Grant

Natasha Grant shares the joys and privilege of parenting three spectacular and creative children who are ages 20, 16, and 4 with an intelligent and loving man of 19 years. She is the daughter to a beautiful and resilient woman and was born and raised Wagoner, OK. She now lives in Tulsa, OK with her family. She is currently a stay at home mom, and home schools her two youngest children. Before she decided to home school her children, she enjoyed working in the health field for 14 years as a Certified Nurse’s Aide, Phlebotomist, and Home Health Aide. Her love for writing was found during college through her beloved English Composition courses. From that time forward, every thought on her mind and feeling in her heart concerning how to help someone feel better has come out in the form of poetry. Her goal is to reach as many people as she can by using the gift of speech and building others up to live a mentally wealthy life. This goal inspired her to create Loved and Needed, which are shirts and hoodies that display direct messages of love, support, and encouragement. Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram!

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. delbert grant

    Well…I am truly interested in your brand of thought process and very entrigued by your sensibility. What really makes me proud is that you are well on your way to helping so many other people in their daily lives and I truly wish you the best in all you strive to achieve In your own life…now keep up the good work…and Congratulations !!!
    Yours Truly…

  2. Jennifer

    I am so proud of you!

  3. Shon

    This is great!

  4. Natasha

    Thank you. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it.

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