Thank you for taking the time to read A Grain of Salt. I thought I’d write about something a little different this time: patience. Patience is something I think we can both agree on that we need more of.
Tell me what you think in the comments section. As always, thanks for reading.
Editor
Have you ever wanted something so badly but you couldn’t afford it? You like Apple products and the newest iPhones were just released. You’d love to have a new one but you’re going to have to save for this one.
You worked and worked saving money to buy your new iPhone. You started working longer shifts and taking shorter lunch breaks. Cutting expenses became the norm.
You quit going out to eat.
You canceled your vacation.
You even canceled your Netflix subscription.
YIKES!!
Days passed.
Weeks passed.
Months passed.
You finally have the money to buy a new iPhone for yourself. You did a great job saving money but after a couple of months you realized something: you weren’t interested in an iPhone any longer.
The loss of interest is patience at work. Patience allowed you to delay gratification, and it made sense and felt right.
Patience provided you an opportunity which made you realize you didn’t really want a new iPhone after all. You realized it would've been a frivolous waste of money. You just had to have the latest, greatest new iPhone even though yours is not that old.
On the bright side, you have the extra money you were going to use to buy your new iPhone. You can renew your Netflix now.
Whew!
Patience is a virtue. So I’m told.
What is patience?
It’s the ability to wait for something . . . without frustration.
The proverb patience is a virtue means it’s a good quality to be able to tolerate something that takes a long time.
Patience and virtue is a proverbial phrase referring to one of the seven virtues. It’s a trait deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. It shows high moral standards — that’s doing what’s right and avoiding what is wrong.
Kindness cures envy. It places the desire to help others above the need to be above them.
Temperance cures gluttony. Temperance makes a person want to be healthy.
Charity cures greed by placing the desire to help others above hoarding resources and capital.
Chastity cures lust. It controls passion and leveraging that energy for the good of others.
Humility cures pride. It removes one’s ego and replaces it with the desire to serve.
Diligence cures slothfulness. Diligence places the best interest of others above oneself.
Patience cures wrath. It is the ability to wait for something . . . without frustration.
The opposite of virtue is vice.
We’re taught patience is a virtue but very few of us, if any are ever really shown or taught how to be patient. Patience isn’t something we’re born with; patience isn’t in the subconscious. It’s something we consciously do. Patience is like any other hard-earned discipline: The more we practice it, the more patient we become.
When should you practice patience?
“Patience is not the ability to wait. Patience is to be calm no matter what happens, constantly take action to turn it into positive growth opportunities, and have faith to believe that it will all work out in the end while you are waiting.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Patience is mistakenly viewed as being passive or a sign of humility; patience seen as power is rare. It’s an emotionally freeing practice of waiting, watching, and knowing when to act. With patience, you’re able to step back and rethink the situation. In fact, patience gives you the liberating breath you’ve always longed to take.
Patience enables us to free ourselves from frustration and its ills, and bring us to the present moment. It gives us the perspective to think calmly; say the right things; and to act or behave correctly, appropriately, and with the best intentions. Once you understand what patience can do and accept it, it’s much easier, perhaps even pleasant, to exercise.
Being patient gives rise to a feeling of calmness of mind which makes it easier to ride life’s ups and downs. It gives you the ability to build a successful company. Success doesn’t happen overnight.
If you’ve ever been fishing then you know patience is a must. You can spend most of the day waiting for a bite. There’s been plenty of times where it took half a day if not longer before I got my first bite.
There are benefits of practicing patience:
Positive rewards
Impatience is a habit, and so is patience. When you lack patience, you’re unable to delay gratification for more than a moment, which fills you with frustration. When you’re impatient, you’re unable to work toward your goals; you quit so you can start over. Quitting so you can have a fresh start is a recurring theme in people with no patience.
Smart decision-making
When making good decisions, patience is your friend. Patience helps you keep a clear mind and prevents you from thinking negative thoughts which can cloud your judgment. Constant questions of “what-if” outcomes are typically human. You have the mindfulness to stop and focus on the present moment and make wise choices taking the big and small picture into account.
Self-possession
Direct control of ourselves and self-possession is a powerful aid when one is seeking success. Patience gives us time to choose how to handle a situation instead of becoming emotional. It allows us to stay gathered and to deal with whatever comes our way.
A lack of progress is always a symptom of a lack of patience. The most basic reason for impatience is a lack of control. When you lack control, what follows is a lack of understanding and insight. Finally, this leads to a lack in your ability to plan, communicate, and set realistic expectations.
When you claim control over the ability to plan, communicate, set realistic expectations, etcetera, etcetera you get to bask in the rewards patience delivers.
Tolerance
With patience, the sky's the limit when it comes to tolerating intolerance. It gives you the foresight to expect obstacles on your path and to deal with them. When you expect challenges, you respond with more courage, strength, and optimism; you roll up your sleeves and do the work you need to do. The sooner you realize this, the less stress you will experience and the more resilient you become.
Five Steps to Cultivate Patience:
Meditate on a regular basis.
Stop and count ten breaths when you feel impatient.
Remind yourself the other person is acting out of pain or ignorance and needs your compassion.
Remember this shall pass.
Do not act for 24 hours, always!
If you’re unsure of the outcome of an action you intend to take, then wait. Observing patience usually doesn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth but hasty decisions and emotional ones can.
“Patience is a conquering virtue.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
Patience doesn’t mean ignoring problems. It only means you should give yourself some time before acting. It’s better to wait than to look foolish.
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