persistent [per-sis-tuhnt]

lasting or enduring tenaciously; persisting, esp. in spite of opposition, obstacles, discouragement, etc.; persevering

Synonyms include: determined, insistent, incessant, perseverant

I just finished listening to my aunt tell me and mom the most amusing and amazing story of my cousin's recent engagement. Long story, short, she'd been single all her life (she just turned 41 years old in July) until she came into contact again with an old classmate who she hadn't seen or spoken to for more than a decade. Now, she's getting married. Before we got off the phone, my aunt said, "Good things really come to those who wait patiently."

I've been told this so many times, on so many different occasions which called for one of the most common cliches (is that redundant?) in the world of cliches. Hearing it the first few times, I said, "I know. I will be." Hearing it 525,600 times? You learn to turn a deaf ear because the apparent waiting had yet to produce those good things. Waiting is frustrating, but I didn't realize until lately exactly why.

Chemical Engineering flashback (eeeks!): There are two kinds of energy - potential and kinetic. Potential Energy gives you the capability to do work. Kinetic Energy is the energy possesed by objects in motion.

Like energy, there are two types of waiting - the kind that makes you sit and wait for something or someone good to happen to you, and the kind that makes you do something to get the waiting to stop. I'm a shameful fan of the first type of waiting, and it's mostly due to fear - fear that the waiting will never end and I won't be able to do anything about it. And if I did decide to act, the fear of failure was even greater. Hmmm....I'd rather be kinetic.

"Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion." ~ Michael Jordan