15. PATIENCE – The Patience of Mary Anning
AFTERWORD As a dedicated paleontologist, Mary used her inborn patience and expected a lot from herself. When she excavated fossils she used her desire to work hard and long to succeed, no matter how long it took. This was her drive in action. When a dig took months to com- plete, her devotion to goals allowed her to get control of her daily life and schedule. You can develop this level of devotion in your- self. Her curiosity pushed her to always ask questions about things she didn’t understand. Similarly, it was her knowledge trait and desire to continually accumulate information that motivated her to discover never-before-seen evidence of animals from long ago. Mary’s enterprise served her well throughout her scientific career. Review her story and you will find examples of her use of this trait. She kept her mental radar working full time. This is perception , a characteristic that helped her leave her mark as a scientist and one you will learn about in the next story.
“ Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.”
– Marcus Aurelius
TO BE A GENIUS In what ways was Mary impatient with herself? How did having high expectations for herself help her succeed? Who should you be more patient with? What area of your life should you expect more of yourself?
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