In my 2+ years living in Morocco, there’s an Arabic phrase I’ve come to know pretty well:

“Shewya, Pshewya.”

Loosely translated, it means “Slowly, little by little.” In other words . . . Be Patient!

Let’s get this done.   Shewya, Pshewya.

We’ve got to change this.   Shewya, Pshewya.

Let’s help so-and-so accomplish his/her objectives!   Shewya, Pshewya.

(Sometimes, it’s enough to make a truly driven person want to drive directly off a cliff! )

Hey, there’s a lot to be said for a laid-back culture — especially after living in the anti-thesis of ‘laid-back’ — NYC — for nearly a decade.

But if you want to be great; if you want to get what you want; if you want to be ‘ahead of the crowd’ . . . or, frankly, if you just want to live to who you TRULY want to be, “Shewya, pshewya” has got to go.

Taking things slowly and ‘being patient’ can’t be the foundation of your life philosophy.

If it is, exactly how and when do you expect to accomplish your dreams and desires?

Now, don’t get me wrong. Eschewing “shewya, pshewya” is not a license to rush into things haphazardly.

It’s not an invitation to forgo intelligent planning.

It’s not a statement that denies that you may, in fact, live in/under circumstances that make “achieving what you want” a task that’s more difficult — and that takes more time — than might be the case for “the average person”.

Be smart.

Listen to your heart.

Consider the consequences of your actions and how things might unfold as you progress . . . if that will help prevent you from being caught completely off guard.

Recognize your situation and the “obstacles” in front of you so you can figure out how to thrive in their presence.

Just don’t do it “shewya, pshewya.”

Just don’t be patient about it!

After all, it’s your life. You want to LIVE it, right?

If that answer is an EMPHATIC YES(!!!), what are you waiting for?

Who’s schedule are you abiding by that leaves you believing that “shewya, pshewya” is going to get you what you want out of life?

After all, if you move along, “shewya, pshewya” — with incredible patience — for long enough, you might just NEVER get where you’re trying to go!

Golfing great Claude Harmon, as cited by his son “Butch”, in The Pro proclaimed that “patience is an overrated virtue.”

Character, integrity, humility, compassion, fortitude, drive, perseverance (among others) are virtues that are going to help you thrive. Intelligence doesn’t hurt either. But patience — “shewya, pshewya” is the quickest way to nowhere because, frankly, it is a sign that you’re content to wait for the world to come to you . . . and, simply put, it’s not going to happen!

You have to take action to MAKE things happen.

Take action.  Make the life you want for yourself . . . and do it NOW, on your timetable, so that you can experience the life you desire for as long as possible.