Life is full of uncertainties and things we can’t control. Not everything can happen how and when we want it to. Patience is an invaluable coping strategy and recent research shows that waiting for things may actually be good for our mental health.
If we live our lives impatiently, we are destined to be irritated, full of disappointment and permanently annoyed.
We become frustrated in life because our expectations fail to meet reality – there are times we can change certain things our relationships, our circumstances or our jobs but often our unrealistic expectations are our downfall. It makes us too quick to dispense with things that require thought and time.
The Long Game
When things don’t quite go as we want or expect, we need to learn to devote our time and attention. Patience is a super-power, it expands our life choices. It means we get to choose the longer, often more interesting path.
There is something wonderfully liberating and empowering about being able to sit with the frustration of waiting. If we want to achieve anything worthwhile in our business, relationships or life then it helps to develop the virtue of patience.
Success happens by taking daily action to help bring us closer to our goal. We must have patience to maintain our enthusiasm and industriousness when pursuing our goals. It’s patience that teaches us that worthwhile goals take time to achieve and hard work will eventually pay off. Moreover, some things just take time and effort, they require long-term commitment and dedication despite the various challenges you might face along the way.
Step By Step
It’s not unreasonable or inhibiting to have to wait, it’s normal and therefore something to learn to deal with. When we focus on daily action, we are able to move closer to our objective, one step at a time, without being distracted by the enormity of the task. Furthermore, because we are not getting caught up in our emotional impulses, patience actually helps us to step back from the situation. This give us more clarity and a deeper understanding of what’s happening around us.
There’s no clear-cut easy way to success and it’s only human to wonder and beat ourselves up for not being successful yet! Whether we’re working on a novel or inventing the next big thing, it’s important to prepare ourselves by reflecting on how things might potentially unfold. In this way, we will be ready for the twists and turns in our life when our patience is tested.
Creating Opportunities
Practising patience in our day to day lives can make situations more pleasant in the here and now and hopefully pave the way for a happier and more successful future. By having the persistence to carry out things that lead to a long term goal, helps us to realize that prosperity will come to those who keep trying.
Patient people tend to experience less stress and depression because they generally cope better with difficult situations. They are more hopeful and satisfied with their lives, leading to higher levels of positive emotions and creating more favourable opportunities for themselves.