My favourite part of a sunset is when that big glorious coin goes fully out of sight because that’s when the real visual magic happens. If you wait long enough, the sky will always give you a treat tastier than you expect, but you have to be patient to receive it. Like most of life’s lessons, this is one I already know, and yet, I keep learning it again and again. 

Watching sunsets have become a non-negotiable part of my life. I find them to be both restorative and inspiring. Sometimes I visualise them washing over me, and it feels rejuvenating. But I’ve never seen anything like I did the other evening. That sunset just kept giving. The more we waited, the more the colours changed and the stronger they became. It was outstanding, from candy floss pink to a deep-sea blue and everything in between. My eyeballs never felt more alive. My photos don’t do it justice, and there wasn’t a filter in sight. 

This got me thinking about patience. A good friend of mine in Bali said, “the island is teaching us patience”, and I have to agree. That means something different to everyone, of course, and for me, it refers to certain sectors of my life over others. Everything is majorly accessible here, so instant gratification is not an issue. However, it’s not about immediate want for me, it’s about the longer-term goals at the moment, and that impatience has never been more obvious than feeling the push in an environment of ease. 

“Can I balance the fire in my belly by swimming in calmer waters?”

The duality of this is a delicate dance. I’ve moved from the fast pace of Western society to a place of flow. I am still human and want things in my life to move at the rate I want them to move. I crave desired results as soon as possible. And if I’m honest, I don’t think that way of living is either effective or healthy in the grander scheme of things. But that’s all I know, so being in an environment that no longer supports that is a transition in itself until I find my new equilibrium. A balance of both is most likely required to get where I want to go. 

So, what if I choose patience instead? I’m a very patient person when it comes to standing in a queue or with others, but not always with myself and certainly not always when achieving my aspirations. The island is certainly teaching me a different pace, approach and perspective. More than once in the last week, I asked myself, what if I knew that I would get everything I’ve ever dreamed of, but it would take time – and I wouldn’t know how much – could I wait? Can I surrender and trust that a slower state of ‘piece by piece’ will get me there even though I wanted to be at my destination yesterday? Can I balance the fire in my belly by swimming in calmer waters?

I know things take time; I’m not foolish. And for the most part, I’m ok with the timeframe if I think I’ll get there in the end, especially on the days when life is good. But on those days when it’s not, and I feel overwhelmed by how slow things are moving or my rate of progression, that’s when I’m really tested. It’s easy to be positive when life is great. It’s when obstacles arise we are challenged to remain as such. That’s when I must make peace again with my current situation, accept it and keep walking towards my goals.

This sunset was a reminder of the importance of that. I usually go for a walk at sunset, then sit, maybe have coconut, and I usually spend about an hour to two hours on the beach. This evening, I went earlier walked 14,000 steps which I’ve never done in my life in one stroll, never mind in the heat of the evening sun. I met my friend, we sat by the sea and had dinner. I often felt it was time to go, or I must leave, because ‘that’s what I normally do’. But this time, I didn’t because I realised nothing was pushing me, only me and for no other reason than habit. So I settled my inner busy bee to just be, and I waited for longer than I usual, thinking I’d already seen everything the sky had to offer. How hilarious and egotistical. I had no idea that the best was yet to come.

Now, every time I look at this picture, I’m going to remind myself of what I’ve learned (again). Even on the days I haven’t made monumental progress, completed all my tasks and already achieved my life goals, it’s ok. If I can wait long enough, be patient and keep showing up, then one day, probably when I least suspect it, I’ll realise the best is finally here – and most likely, better than I ever imagined.