The Snail Made it to Noah's Ark

When I was young and naive, I thought that getting somewhere meant getting there now. What I lacked was patience. Lots of patience. I thought that getting there last meant that I had not succeed, but someone always used to tell me "The snail made it to Noah's Ark too."

Back then, I did not know that what they were actually saying was beyond wise. Today I do. Success does not require that you be the first or the fastest. Success happens when it happens and even if you are the last one to get there, you still made it. We should be proud of the fact that we made it. There are many people that give up before they get there, and many that never even try to begin with. Sometimes speed is an advantage, like when there is one worm then yes the early bird gets the worm. In life though, there isn't just one opportunity, there are many opportunities.

The snail had patience. It watched the cheetah, zebra, lion, peacock, elephant, giraffe, duck, frog, horse, ardvark, rabbit, canary, bear, deer, monkey, ........, and even cockroach walk on board. Most people would get discourage and maybe even feel that there is no point anymore. Patient people don't. They won't give up, and not only that they turn it around and get inspired. They see others make it and they use it to spur themselves on.

In the world we live in, cluttered with instant coffee, microwaves, fast food, instant messages, and automatic teller machines, soon is not quick enough. We are taught to detest patience rather than respect and cultivate it. The snail is not our hero, he often is really not even worth a second thought. This is detrimental to our future, because instant can't happen all the time. Honestly, instant rarely actually happens at all. The things that really matter are worth waiting for. It sounds cliche, but when you've made it and the storm comes and washes out those that gave up it becomes a meaningful expression.