"Waiting, suffering, or slowing down certainly goes against the grain of Western culture, which prizes productivity and being in control, and pressures us for quick solutions. Think of the agitation in an airport security line, or the collective frustration of a traffic jam: We are wired to push forward, to achieve, to 'get through it', even when there is no place to go."
"Everyone is busy, having things to do and places to be, after all. However, many of life's deepest psycho- spiritual developmental tasks don't happen in forward motion, or at the pace you want. Instead, long-lasting, meaningful, and impactful transformation unfolds in mysterious thresholds: those disorienting passages between what was and what is not yet. Thresholds are often marked by loss, change, or interruption: A job ends, a relationship unravels, something or someone dies, or an identity no longer fits. These are not simply problems to solve, but invitations to pause."
Human beings deeply resist losing control and feel intense discomfort in in-between times. Western culture's emphasis on productivity and quick fixes exacerbates impatience and avoidance. Significant psychological and spiritual growth often occurs within thresholds—liminal, disorienting passages between what was and what is not yet. These passages are commonly triggered by loss, change, or interruption and call for presence rather than frantic problem-solving. Expanding tolerance for discomfort becomes a developmental skill. Surrender, connection, and ritual support navigation through uncertainty and enable long-lasting, meaningful transformation that cannot be rushed.
Read at Psychology Today
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