What is patience? Something we are told to have when we are feeling antsy? Some may view patience as a hindrance. It is actually one of the strongest tools in our emotional toolbox. Having the patience can be the difference between stopping completely at the stop sign and rear-ending someone. Our ability to demonstrate patience is vital to our success. Success can be not spilling your coffee or turning in a project on-time. But success is a topic for another day. Having patience to finish this post before jumping to the next subject allows me to stay focused on the task at hand. Patience alone is not enough to keep me from scolding myself for not being perfect in writing my first blog post. Understanding this is something new and a process to be developed.
Being able to identify, acknowledge, and attempt to make change is important. Do you catch yourself rushing? Your personal conversation may go something like this: (Identify) 'I feel uneasy.' (Acknowledge) 'Why do I feel this way? I feel rushed.' (Attempt Change) 'Oh, I have that presentation this morning. I am nervous about my performance. Take a breath (enter your name). Everything will work out the way it's intended. Slow down and focus, one step at a time'.
What ways will you practice patience today? Make yourself a list of times you noticed you were impatient. What could you have done differently to change your outcome?