We All Need Patience: Learn How To Be Patient

Patience is usually the most confusing of virtues. Most people don’t realize that patience is learned. For most of us, however, patience doesn’t come naturally. The following are three areas in which patience really pays off.  

1.    Goal setting    

Have you heard the saying that says: “Anything good is worth waiting for”?  This doesn’t mean that you can just sit and do nothing and good things will happen to you.  You are the one who has to make things happen.  When you prioritize and write out your goals, remember to give yourself a realistic deadline. Think to yourself, Rome was not built in one day. Set small goals within bigger goals. This will help to accomplish the bigger goal. Think of it as taking small steps towards your future. In return you will feel a sense of accomplishment when you see your goals become a reality. 

2.    Learning new skills  

 The older we get, the harder it usually becomes for us to learn new skills.  We could become unenthusiastic, and feel like giving up.  Especially, people who have not been working for many years could get really behind on technology and it could become challenging to get up to speed.  Having a broken bone is one of the best ways to learn how to be patient.  I’m not suggesting you go and do anything dangerous, of course, but in this case patience is generated out of necessity.  Every day you learn how to do tasks differently so that you can stay mobile.  Getting involved in a sport, like karate or yoga, could make you feel awkward at first but with enough practice all of the sudden you feel like a pro.  The first dozen times I tried making my enchiladas I didn’t get them right, but now they are like restaurant quality.  Would I have given up after the first soggy mess, then I have no idea what I would serve at family reunions. 

3.    Tolerance 

Occasionally, patience means enduring or persevering in a difficult time.  I’m sure we have all experienced bad drivers or demanding bosses.  Even slow dial-up internet can make our blood pressure grow.  What we can do is use these times as opportunities to gain more patience.  Instead of yelling at your kids when they take too long getting ready for school, think of the times they had to wait for you.  Impatience can make people lose their temper, which could cause them to say or do something drastic that they didn’t mean.  Contrary to this, patience promotes peace. 

In this time of instant gratification, it becomes very hard to accept what we see out of our control. Learning and practicing patience could be considered true art. But this art is very worth learning and practicing for your own health, healing and happiness.