PATIENCE VERSUS PROCRASTINATION

PATIENCE VERSUS PROCRASTINATION

                        While we are postponing, life speeds by – Lucius Annaeus Seneca.

Patience is both a great virtue and a great weapon, it moves mountains. Patience has variously been defined as the ability to endure waiting or delay. It is thus the product of a genuine faith. Besides, patience has the capacity to perfect and complete any godly thing. In other words, patience produces perfect works. Perfect works are complete and entire, lacking (wanting) nothing; ask Abraham and Job. Show me a person who is full of faith and patience and I will show you a perfect person. This is because every genuine faith endures tribulations, “knowing that tribulation produces perseverance (patience); and perseverance, character; and character, hope… (and) hope does not disappoint” – Romans 5:4-5(NKJV).

Patience is, however, not procrastination; it is a diligent worker! This means that patience is not indolence. Patience moves mountains because it works, even in the face of fiercest difficulties, to attain its goals. Thus mountains (difficulties) are never insurmountable stumbling blocks to patience. Besides, patience is the sacred secret of all real victors of any race. The race of life is full of tribulations and it takes only patient participants to press towards their goals for earthly and Heavenly prizes. Patience always seeks to meet a particular attainable goal in the midst of all odds. Therefore patience is never procrastination because whilst the latter gives excuses for its inactions the former presses on despite the presence of even real excuses.

“Procrastination,” so goes a right saying, “is the thief of time.” Time is the most precious asset of mankind. It goes without saying that procrastination dishonestly appropriates the treasures of its victims. God has given each of us some unique talents and abilities. The raw material for manifesting the products of such talents and abilities is time. Thus procrastination cripples the talents and abilities of its victims because it steals their indispensable raw material (time). Studies have shown that of over 25,000 men and women who had experienced failure disclosed the fact that lack of decision was near the head of the list of the 30 major causes of failure.

George S. Clason wrote in his book, The Richest Man in Babylon, “The spirit of procrastination is within all men. We desire riches; yet how often when opportunity doth appear before us, that spirit of procrastination from within doth urge various delays in our acceptance. In listening to it we do become our own worst enemies”. Truly, no person can arrive at a full measure of success until that person has completely crushed the spirit of procrastination within that person. Arkad, the richest man in Babylon, testified: “During my long life I have watched generation following generation, marching forward along those avenues of trade, science and learning that lead to success in life. Opportunities came to all these men. Some grasped theirs and moved steadily to the gratification of their deepest desires, but the majority hesitated, faltered and fell behind.” Napoleon Hill in his think and grow rich stated that, “Procrastination, the opposite of decision, is a common enemy that everybody must (practically) conquer.”Are you dancing with your current opportunities or you’re procrastinating? Remember, “Opportunity waits for no man.”

Richard Obeng Mensah, author of Wisdom Thoughts.

Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com. Blog: www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com