What the Praying Mantis Taught Me About Patience, Stillness, and Trusting the Wait
If you’ve ever crossed paths with a praying mantis, you know how easy they are to miss. They don’t announce themselves. They don’t rush. They just are… still, focused, patient.
The praying mantis is one of nature’s quietest teachers, and honestly, I think we need more of that energy in our lives. In a world that rewards constant motion, hustle, and multitasking, the praying mantis invites us to pause, breathe, and trust the timing of things.
The Symbolism of the Praying Mantis
Across many cultures, the praying mantis is seen as a symbol of stillness, mindfulness, patience, and calm focus. It doesn’t act out of fear or urgency, it moves with precision and only when necessary. That kind of restraint takes wisdom. It’s not just about waiting, it's about how we wait.
The mantis doesn’t waste energy. It teaches us to stop reacting and start observing.
Mindfulness and the Stillness of the Mind
I don’t know about you, but my brain rarely feels “still.” Between family, business, moving pieces of military life, and just being a human trying to hold it together… stillness feels almost impossible some days.
But when I think about the praying mantis, I remember that stillness isn’t the absence of thoughts. It’s choosing not to chase every one of them. It's allowing a moment to be what it is without judging it, or ourselves, for not moving faster.
When we practice mindfulness, we’re practicing presence. The praying mantis isn’t worried about tomorrow or stuck in yesterday. It’s focused right here, right now. There’s power in that.
Patience and Perseverance
We love to throw around the word “patience,” but the praying mantis shows us it’s not about sitting still just for the sake of it. It’s about trusting the process, even when things feel slow or uncertain.
We get caught up in timelines. “When will things change?” “Why is it taking so long?” But maybe it’s not about how long we wait, it’s about who we’re becoming while we wait.
The mantis waits with purpose. It doesn’t act out of boredom or self-doubt. It waits because it knows the right moment will come. And when it does, it’s ready.
Be Gentle With Yourself
If you’ve been feeling impatient with yourself lately, if you’ve been caught in that loop of “Why can’t I just get it together?” you’re not alone. I feel that, too.
Sometimes when I’m overwhelmed, I sit for a second and ask myself: Where do I feel this in my body? My chest? My jaw? My stomach? Just locating that emotion helps bring me back to the present. Not to fix it, but to witness it. And in that awareness, something softens.
Being patient with yourself isn’t passive. It’s active grace.
Gratitude in the Waiting
Even in the slow seasons, the quiet ones where nothing seems to be moving, it helps to practice gratitude. Not the forced kind. Just the small things: warm sun, hot coffee, a breath that didn’t feel tight.
Gratitude anchors us when the path feels blurry.
So maybe next time you see a praying mantis, take it as a reminder:
You don’t have to rush. You don’t have to have it all figured out.
Be still. Be present. Trust the timing.
You’re doing better than you think.
And the wait? It’s not wasted.
