How many of us like to be instantly gratified?? America is a culture that wants things here and now and the next day its already something else. Fast food is synonymous with the American way. Fast fashion, coffee, credit cards, music, movies, I could go on and on. We get what we want today and by the time its tomorrow we already want something else. It’s this pursuit of things that have no lasting contentment. We can’t live by our impulses. Gratifying our impulses ends in the result of being discontent. The more and more we feed that impulse and desire the more emptiness follows. The “convenience” of not having to wait evolves into a life of being inconvenienced. Maybe we need to learn to be more inconvenienced. Patience is something cultivated. You will have many opportunities to exercise it. Try experimenting with not being instantly gratified. It’s a practice. We all have to start somewhere. It could be not drinking that coffee in the morning. It could be not going to the movie theatre and waiting for that illustrious film to be released on Netflix. The more we practice this, slowly we feel a little more content; the things I used to think I could never go without become things I don’t really need. Do I really need all those magazine subscriptions?? Do I always have to be on top of the world news and politics?? If it’s not the latest then it doesn’t hold any “true” value. Being instantly gratified doesn’t last that long. It’s like a drug, you build an immunity the more frequently using it. Being high doesn’t feel like that first high until you have to graduate into something more strong and lethal, into something more damaging. Have you ever worked hard for something?? It could’ve taken you months, years. Some things take an entire lifetime to achieve. It could be a relationship, job, paying off a car loan or home mortgage. Whatever it is, didn’t it feel great fulfilling that accomplishment?? It could’ve been painful, there were many ups and downs, it was a continuous struggle; but in the end there was this strange sense of being fulfilled. It wasn’t this shallow, fickle sensation but rather it was deep and unwavering. We can feel unburdened, light, euphoric. I can’t experience this being instantly gratified. It just isn’t on the same level. Continually being instantly gratified results in a heaviness, emptiness and sense of being unfulfilled. I think real joy and happiness comes from the ability to deny oneself. Practicing self-control can be an uncomfortable process but the more you do it the easier it gets. It begins to feel less uncomfortable and more normal. I can gain more control over myself. More control over my life, thoughts, actions and decisions. This isn’t the easy way which is why many don’t like to take this route. We can become desensitized living a life that’s “comfortable.” That feeling of comfort morphs into a feeling of feeling numb. This tells me experiencing discomfort will enhance my senses. It’s like exercising. I train my muscles and slowly get stronger, faster and can endure more. It’s also not something I practice in one season. It’s a lifestyle. It’s worth pursuing an entire lifetime. We’re all at different levels. Start small and you’ll gradually be able to take on bigger challenges.