Patience. I have two extremes, I am either really patient, or I am really impatient.
I learnt patience from a young age. Mostly in the old Kingswood outside the T.A.B waiting for my dad, or the countless hours I spent at the hospital when my little sister had suffered yet another asthma attack. My impatience is usually with technology not doing what it’s meant to do, waiting in lines that I don’t want to be in, and watching my children look for their shoes in the morning. As an adult, some say I am way too patient or tolerate too much, but I think my patience has been my saving grace many times.
The thing is, without patience we will learn less, we will see less, we will feel less, we will hear less, and life will mean less.
So, it goes without saying, patience is one of the most important skills we can role model and teach our children.
Learning to walk, learning to tie their shoes, learning to ride a bicycle, learning to drive their first car are all times that our children’s patience, and even that of our own, will be tested. We somehow navigate this part of their life and remind our children that they need to be patient and persistent.
But the older we get, and the more setbacks we have, the more our resilience and patience are tested.
We get sad, frustrated and demotivated because things aren’t happening at the speed we believe they should. We haven’t got our dream job, car, partner or house. Our life just isn’t where we thought it would be and this is a tough place to be.
Very few people are living the life of their dreams. Or are they? Have you ever asked yourself the question, “if I had everything I ever wanted in my life, what would it be?” You may be surprised that you are closer than you realise.
Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.
Sure, trying to keep a good attitude whilst waiting for your kids is annoying.
Sure, trying to help your parents with their tech problems is frustrating.
Sure, trying to be patient with your elderly relative as they tell you the same story again is not easy.
Sure, trying to get that tired baby or child to sleep when they don’t want to is tiresome.
Sure, trying to get your family to clean up after themselves is repetitive.
There are so many things on a daily basis where our patience is tested.
This is life.
Maybe that story from your elderly relative will finally have meaning once you hear it for the 100th time.
Maybe you will learn something having to teach someone else.
Maybe you will see something amazing whilst waiting.
Maybe you will feel more connected to your children as you cuddle them to sleep.
Maybe it’s these little moments of extreme patience where we grow and we realise the importance of these times.
Patience will always achieve more than our force.
When we are feeling impatient, you have three choices. Leave the situation, change the situation or accept the situation and be patient.
Remember, the best things in life are worth waiting for. So, be patient.
