It was the story that let me get up each morning and do it again.

And lying awake in that hotel, I finally saw that the story was a lie, and had been from the beginning, because I had confused two things that only look alike from a distance.

I had confused compliance with patience.

They are not the same.

Patience is active.

Patience is a choice made from strength — the decision to endure a hard thing because you have judged, clearly, that enduring it will lead somewhere worth reaching.