Today's lesson is all about patience and what it can teach us, about ourselves, about others, about life. Patience is a virtue. A virtue is a behavior showing high moral standards. A person who is patient is a strong person and is someone who is not quick to react, but instead is very thoughtful in their actions.
How much patience you have practiced lately. Point out deliberately used the word "practiced" in this question instead of asking you how much patience you have. Big difference between saying we have patience and actually practicing and demonstrating what we do. Patience is harder now more than ever for us to practice. Why? Instant gratification.
There are many other transactions that have put patience on the back burner and are almost a thing of the past. So with all this instant gratification, many of us have forgotten how to wait. We no longer sit back and ponder the answer to questions but rather we are like contestants in a game show, buzzing in and reacting to everything in our lives, instead of sitting back and letting things unfold and happen in their own time.
The frustration we feel when we practice patience—any frustration felt about having to wait is all self-inflicted. We only get annoyed waiting because of the thoughts we have when we are waiting. We want to avoid feeling uneasy and so we react vs responding and then guess what happens, there are times we regret our quick reaction. Reacting is prompt —that's why it's often called a knee-jerk reaction, with little or no thought involved. A response however is not always that fast, and it has more thought involved.
A lot of people have no patience at all. If you recognize yourself in this category, what are you making waiting mean? What is your concern about waiting? Why does it make you uncomfortable?
When we don't practice patience, when we don't wait, breathe and trust, we force solutions instead of seeking answers. If you are going to practice patience, don't hold your breath. Breathe. Consciously breathe in and out, become aware of your inhales and exhales. And what do you do after you breathe in and start to relax…you trust? Trust your waiting is for your own good. Trust if you are looking for an answer, the right one will come to you. Trust all will be well.
Forcing an issue in your life?…you may want to try practicing patience.
A good thought to keep in mind while you are practicing patience is everything is happening for you and not against you. That is the power of patience. Practice patience and you will begin to feel more in control, even though you are giving up control. You are consciously deciding to wait instead of reacting. And, it's because you will no longer be fighting the waiting. You will instead be accepting it and over time you will trust more as the power of patience shows you all is well.
