Patience

Written By Katherine Brown
 

“In the end, Berninger found that the only thing that helped his depression was patience.” 

Berninger is Matt Berninger from The National. The line comes from Amanda Petrusich’s New Yorker article ‘Sad Dads - How the National captures the unmagnificent lives of adults’ (8 May 2023 issue). 

Reading it on the weekend that Charles finally became King at 73 - definitely an exercise in patience, I thought about how undervalued patience is. In a world that equates new with progress and thinks of disruption as a solution, patience seems a little old-fashioned.  

And yet - when you are trying to find your next act in your 50s - patience is exactly what you need and lots of it!!

Patience (not something that comes naturally to me) has helped me sit with my feelings, try new approaches and persevere when nothing seems to be going my way.

And as a result, I'm getting more job interviews and positive feedback. Even if I don't get the job, I'm feeling better about my chances next time. It's been a slog, but hanging in there has been worth it.

If you're struggling with patience like me, you can try mindfulness or learn to reframe the issue. Or, my personal favourite, do something fun to take your mind off things. It might just help you find the patience you need to succeed.

 
 
 

MAY ESCAPISM

 
 

LISTEN

To The National new album ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’ of course! Pitchfork says ‘with help from Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, and Sufjan Stevens, the National return with their gentlest album yet: a collection of airy, tender gestures’. Have a listen.

 
 

WATCH

Colin from Accounts is not the work drama I expected. First of all, it’s not a drama but a romantic comedy from real-life Aussie couple Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer - it’s silly, fun, and pure escapism. The Guardian gave it five stars. You can watch it on BBC iPlayer.

 
 

READ

I’m reading The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles - a road novel set in 1954 about 18-year-old Emmett Watson and his 8-year-old brother. I loved Towle’s 2016 book A Gentleman in Moscow but this one didn’t immediately grab me despite Obama’s recommendation but after a few pages I was won over. NPR says ‘like Towles’ first two novels, The Lincoln Highway is elegantly constructed and compulsively readable’.

 
Katherine Brown

I’m a Canadian living in the United Kingdom - London to be exact. I’m a business person with an eye for modern design. I’m a customer marketer who thinks like a customer. I’m a design thinker who also happens to be a designer.

I’ve worked at senior marketing levels in large corporations like American Express and Sky TV. I’ve worked agency side, leading digital client accounts. I’ve been part of several start-ups, sat on Angel Investing teams and run my own design and print studio.

In 2021, I started Ascender Creative to help small businesses with big plans build their online credibility and create better customer connections. I do this by taping into my 20+ years of business experience mixing it with a strong customer focus and a big dose of creativity.

https://www.ascendercreative.com
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