We live in an immediate gratification society – there is instant messaging, video on demand, real-time online gaming, purchase something online and have it delivered tomorrow and no interest payments for a year! The list goes on.
The opposite is delayed gratification. Personally, I’m not really into delayed gratification…..it doesn’t suit my impulsiveness, spontaneity nor indulge need to take action.
Here’s what I’ve discovered – there are times when immediate gratification isn’t enough. In recent years, I have been on the purposeful exploration of discovering and deepening my understanding of myself. What does that mean? It means I’ve asked questions that there was no quick, easy, immediate answer and it was a huge disservice for me to expect that I could answer the penetrating questions quickly and effortlessly.
The important learning is in the process as well as the acquisition…and that takes time. I’ve barely scratched the surface; there is so much more to discover – umm, perhaps delayed gratification is worth reconsidering!