Patience, Everything in Time

So they say patience is a virtue but what does that mean? It is defined as behavior showing high moral standards is the definition but why is that important to our day-to-day. Of course, having high moral standards is important but it doesn’t tell us the value of patience. 

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Harriet Tubman

Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting. Joyce Meyer

Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, practicing patience and being persistent. Billy Graham

Lots of good advice there but it doesn’t make the process any easier. Patience and be painful and sometimes what trumps success. Let’s look at it from a few didn’t perspectives to see if I can shine some new light on some strategies. 

Patience requires restraint. In a world that moves by at the speed of light without much thought to the overall picture or quality of life...patience requires us to slow down and be mindful.  

When we feel like we have all the answers and with a little more hard work we can make it happen and happen faster, patience makes us wait. Relax and wait. Where timing and growth meet. 

When we are frustrated because nothing is turning out the way we expected and we just can’t seem to catch a break, patience reminds us that life is still moving and things are still evolving and we aren’t finished yet. 

Another perspective says: "Patience: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, difficulty, or annoyance without getting angry or upset." 

Notice how impatience arises when we’re not getting our way—specifically, when people or our environment aren’t conforming to our expectations, even in circumstances over that we have no control (for example, the flow of traffic or the length of a line). Our expectations are often out of synch with reality. 

Recognize the stressful feeling, and FREEZE FRAME it. Take a time out.

Make a sincere effort to shift your focus away from the racing mind or disturbed emotions to the area around your heart. You can pretend that you are breathing thru your heart to help focus energy in this area. Keep your focus there for ten seconds or more.

Recall a positive, fun feeling or time you’ve had in life and attempt to re-experience it.

Now use your intuition, common sense and sincerity-- ask your heart, what would be a more efficient response to the situation, one that will minimize future stress?

Listen to what your heart says in answer to your question. It's an effective way to put your reactive mind and emotions in check and an in-house source of common sense solutions.

These are just ideas and strategies to try and isn’t that just it…..not sure anyone is born with patience - you lose your cool, your force things to happen, you fall on your face, things don’t work out the way you want, then hopefully….you regroup and try something new. …..is that where you are?

By cultivating a practice of patience, you’re able to let go of things outside your control and live with less stress, anxiety, and frustration. When you are patient you are still and when you are still you have a chance to listen, and when you listen the universe speaks.

Challenge: Test your patience and wait - wait before anger, wait before sadness, wait before giving up. Practice patience as you listen to and for direction. Show patience with those you meet - listen, understand, encourage. There is power in patience. 

I know YOU can do it!