‘Patience is a virtue’, is a saying we have all heard many times but do we actually take heed of it?
Break it down and it’s said to mean the ability to wait for something without getting angry or frustrated.
I know when I was younger I think I was pretty impatient but I’ve definitely changed thanks to two things;
- Travelling and
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Both these experiences instilled so much patience in me (which I am forever grateful for by the way!). Without learning, practising and adapting to this vital skill, there would have been a lot more frustration, agro, hardship, pain, intolerance, sadness and bitterness. It may sound harsh…but I believe this to be true.
Having gone through so many experiences, I have learnt first hand that patience is always rewarded. Possibilities, opportunities and things working out that you couldn’t have imagined and they always happen at the perfect time and often work out even better than you had planned. It requires a lot of faith, trust and patience but is worth it if you stick it out.
I’m an extremely ambitious person. I have huge goals and big dreams and lately I feel patience has been coming up strongly for me. I feel I’ve put in enough tough slog that I should be reaping the rewards by now. But I have to constantly remind myself that life doesn’t work on my time, life works on perfect timing. Now more than ever, I need to keep an eye on the ball, keep working towards my goals but also allow myself to let go and trust that the right path will show up (even if it’s not one I had considered beforehand!).
I do believe there is a higher power than all of us (call it the Universe, God, Grace, Intuition, Higher Intelligence, Consciousness etc) and I trust that this higher force knows what is best for each of us. I truly believe that everything is unfolding exactly as it meant too for each of us. We are all exactly where we are meant to be on our journey and that’s why patience is so important so we can enjoy and notice the journey. It’s not easy but we are in control of bringing ourselves back to these thoughts and beliefs at any moment.
We live in the ‘Information Age’ where we have so much available at our fingertips. We get stressed out easily because we believe everything needs to happen right now. Speed is everything and patience is something that can go out the window very quickly.
Can you wait for something without getting angry, frustrated, giving up or letting it impact on your day/life? Can you change your attitude to one of acceptance? Cultivating this attitude will help us deal more effectively with whatever challenges or obstacles that may come in our way.
Think back on some major life goals you were asked to wait for, things that didn’t work out in the way or time you had planned; did they work out in the end and were they better than expected?
It’s always a process, you have to take each step, there is no silver bullet for anything that’s worth having. Patience is a virtue and it is always rewarded!
