“I want an Oompa Loompa, and I want it NOW!” screams little Veruca Salt to her father in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While I dislike her spoiled brat character, I can certainly relate to her impatience and desire to get what she wants right now. Have you ever been in a “holding pattern” in your life, taking steps toward where you want to be to feel fully happy and fulfilled, but not yet there?
The tricky part during these times is to keep the faith, remembering that everything is happening as it should, unfolding in just the right timeline. When I try to control the outcome or speed at which things are happening, I feel antsy, unclear, and unhappy. Meanwhile, when I just “let go” and let life happen, I’m pulled out of my dark, impatient haze. I suddenly recognize the lessons that I’m learning in the moment and appreciate what I have right now.
But keepin’ the faith ain’t easy. My friend Todd articulated it best: “I have stretches of clarity and trust, but then I lose it again. How can I maintain my faith in myself and the world?”
My answer to him is one that I often need to remember myself: “Sheer will.” I have faith because I choose to have faith. While life is ultimately a mystery, I choose a hopeful outlook rather than a gloomy one. Not surprisingly, when I optimistically believe that something wonderful is around the corner, something wonderful always comes, often quite unexpectedly. Meanwhile, when I lose hope, my life seems to stagnate, or worse, cycles backwards into old, unhelpful patterns.
Maintaining patience and faith takes discipline; I find that external reminders and personal rituals help. I wear a bracelet with a turtle on it to symbolize patience and keep a small rock by my computer etched with the word “trust.” In the morning, I dance around to songs with names like “This or Something Better” and “I Have Faith.” In my quiet moments before and after sleep, I visualize my life as I wish it to be, imagining it is already so.
In the end, little Veruca gets sent down the garbage chute, and it’s open, patient Charlie who wins the prize. Without demanding or grabbing at anything, he makes his way through the chocolate factory with genuinely delighted curiosity. May we all follow his example.
© 2011 by Laurie Gardner
