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The Value of Patience and Perseverance

  • Writer: Patricia Faust
    Patricia Faust
  • Mar 18, 2021
  • 3 min read



Many years ago, I received a gift of Rune cards. What are Runes? Wikipedia (everything is in Wikipedia it seems!) states that Runes are the letters in a set of related alphabets, which were used to write Germanic languages before adoption of the Latin alphabet and for specialized purposes thereafter. Just what are those specialized purposes you might be asking yourself? This is the fun part – Runes have magical powers!! They were often used in magical charms for protection and healing. Over 3000 rune stones were found in Scandinavia. Their origin has been documented in Viking history as early as 100A.D.


So why am I carrying on about Runes? When I received the cards, I pulled one every day to see what the day would bring. It was fun and a great topic of conversation with my co-workers. They started pulling a daily card for themselves. Consistently, I pulled a card where the meaning was – ‘stability, doing the right things, patience, perseverance, endurance. Decided what is the right way to get things accomplished in your life.’ Now all these years later as I look back, I see how accurate that prediction was and continues to be.


I was successful during that time in my life, but I was bored, and I knew that there was something else that I needed to pursue. I moved around to other jobs that were of interest to me but lost my motivation to stay in that position after a couple of years. My gut (subconscious) kept me looking but my frustration was escalating. A change of my plans was abrupt – a couple of automobile accidents had me reconsider everything. So back to school I went in my late forties.


Now I was excited each day about where I was going in my life. There was a big fear overshadowing me, however. I was in period of my life where I should have been at my prime earning potential and getting ready for retirement. Instead my efforts in transitioning all of my knowledge to paying positions were thwarted. Everything that I studied in preparation for my new career was really ahead of the curve of the norms of that time. Where I could see a need and address it was not even on the radar of my target audience. I was not even in my prime earning potential years – I was in my – no earning years. This was terrifying. My biggest fear was being realized. I applied for positions that I was more than capable of and had the ‘new’ education degrees to support that. I was met with ageist declines. I couldn’t even get an interview! It was then that my Rune predictions came into play. I had to keep going.


Patience is the strength of will to navigate the obstacles and challenges you will face as you work the process.

Perseverance is being relentless about doing what needs to be done for as long as it takes. You trust the process and you do the work. (www.focus3.com>blog>the-law-of-patience-and-perseverance June 11, 2019)


I am still in patience and perseverance mode. It may be like that forever. But I know that spreading the word about the importance of brain health is critical for all of us as we age.


Why am I pressing this ideal right now? Everything has changed for all of us this year. There is so much fear about our future. Those in their prime earning potential years might be without a job now. Panic over how to manage the future is starting to permeate all of our lives. Deep down inside us there is a solution. It might not be that quick fix that we all hope for. It may take patience to find what’s next and perseverance to make it happen. Once you release the fear, then your life seems more controllable. Find your ‘why’ (as in ‘why am I here’) and go for it. Patience and perseverance can make the unattainable – attainable.


Patricia Faust, MGS


 
 
 

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March was an unusual month for me.  Normally I work on articles, give presentations and generally just stay tuned to what is going on in the field of aging.  This month I “learned” a lot.  Last year I learned how to write a book.  At the time I took the course I thought it would just be a natural extension of all the writing I had done over the years.  WRONG!!  The actual writing of the book was the easy part.  Putting it together into a book was difficult for me.  The course gave me step by step lessons on constructing a book.  Then editing and formatting were just as challenging.  On June 7 last year the book was published!  It was one of the most satisfying days of my writing career. 

Naturally, when you self-publish, you do not have a publisher promoting the book and getting it in the right categories for best sales on Amazon.  That was crushing because I really didn’t know to appropriately market it.  I am a brain health person!  In December of last year, I purchased a marketing program that is based on statistics.  I am technical minded and so this approach made sense to me.  The course is almost completed.  Can’t wait to see if it improves sales!

The next step I am looking at is recording an audiobook.  This is another venture I knew nothing about.  But I am already tagged on Facebook for marketing of audio book programs.  Facebook picks up everything.  Now my husband was creative director for an advertising agency and when I told him I purchased another class – he couldn’t believe it.  “This was my business.  I know how to do recordings, why didn’t you ask me?” Well, I knew he was an expert in that business, but this audiobook needs to meet all the criteria that Amazon requires for publication.  So, he can take care of the recording part of this audiobook, and I will navigate the process of meeting Amazon’s requirements.  We worked on the book together like this. 

Then I talked with some coaching experts on the viability of starting group teaching programs.  Reading The Boomer Brain book and implementing the Brain Healthy Lifestyle have two entirely different outcomes.  This lifestyle is important to maintaining high cognitive function throughout the later years of our lives.  Look for updates as to when I will roll this program out.

My last learning endeavor was attending a two-day bootcamp for Speakers.  I am really excited about what I learned there.  That is a late this year or next year project, but it is one I am really looking forward to.

 

What Is Happening in April?

The American Society on Aging is having their annual conference in Orlando Florida April 21-24.  This is the largest multidisciplinary conference on aging and the annual conference for Members of ASA.  I have attended a number of these conferences throughout the years, and it is consequential.  Keynote speakers and special events are focused on combating ageism in our society.  Although this is a professional meeting, the attendees come from all aspects of aging services.  They have their work cut out for them this year!

April is Stress Awareness Month.  We should be aware of stress every month and understand how we can break the stress cycle.  These are stressful times, and we need to protect ourselves

Here is a positive one “April is National Volunteer Month”.  When I am working with new retirees who don’t know what to do, I talk to them about volunteering. It is important to have a purpose after you leave the workforce.  There are so many nonprofits who need help in all aspects of their organizations.  It is a perfect way to give back.

Finally – It was Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds – the oldest major league team in the nation.  Cincinnati takes that responsibility seriously.  There is always an Opening Day Parade through downtown to the Ball Park.  Huge crowds line the streets and every year there is talk of making it an official holiday.  Schools and employers look the other way when there is an empty desk.  No matter what the outcome of the game is, there is so much joy, and you can feel that energy.  I am fortunate that I get to experience that.  We all need some joy right now. 

Enjoy your April.

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