Patience is an art form, seen by many as an impossible virtue to achieve. It recognizes that life can be a struggle for each and everyone of us. It involves a withholding and withdrawing of one self, being able to hold back for some future gain. It can be described as a form of compassion that implies power born out of understanding. It’s an exercise in self-control that shows you can handle life when things get tough.
Patience can be essential to daily life and may be key to a happy one. We have ample opportunity to practice it. In the face of adversity and frustration we need to exercise calm and serenity. The old adage, ‘Good things come to those that wait,’ seems even more relevant in current times. We live interrupted lives as we try to multitask and it is frustrating when we feel we aren’t making any progress. Patience is the very antidote to the stress of our fast-paced lifestyles.
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.
The Benefits of the Patience Pause
The road to achievement can be a long one. Those without patience wanting to see immediate results, can be disappointed and give up too easily. A greater sense of satisfaction can be reached by the patient achievers. Being calmer you’re able to keep persisting when it’s difficult, you are able to identify when to act and when not to. Your threshold for tolerance increases, which gives you the foresight to expect setbacks on your path to success.
The skill of patience can be hard to master. You need to reframe the situation by consciously trying to regulate your emotions and identify your triggers. It is important to be mindful of our thoughts – If an immediate response is not required, then walking away from a situation allows you time to think clearly, refocus and face the situation with a better mindset. Being patient involves slowing down, understanding where others are coming from and making a rational plan.
It helps to practice gratitude for what you already have, by doing so, you lose the desperation for immediate gratification. Impatience can lead to snap judgments and decisions which ultimately leave you frustrated. Patience is linked to self-control and consciously trying to regulate your feelings and impulses. It’s what puts you back in control of yourself.
Keep practising
In this chaotic world, anger and stress are not uncommon. People that have patience usually enjoy better physical and mental health. If patience can reduce your daily strain, it’s reasonable to speculate that it could also protect you against damaging health effects.
Practising patience in your 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 you to realize that prosperity will come to those who keep trying.