Patience Is a Virtue

I am an excitable person. I think it is definitely apart of my Libra nature. I love new experiences, people, places, and my love language is probably aligned with receiving and giving quality time to my partner.

I love art, music, and the hustle and bustle of the city. I love social media and the fast pace of modern city life. As a result, I also don’t a natural affinity for the word "patience."

I hate having to wait

I absolutely hate waiting in the doctor's office for appointments, standing in line at the pharmacy, and then the grocery store line, then sitting in traffic to get home.

I love the instantly available nature of things coming to us in a matter of finger swipes. You might also go through some of these same emotions. My best friend noticed this in me and once told me, "Slow down, work hard, and things will come if you wait and be prepared."

The path to patience

Of course, I brushed it off then. But now, the word patience means a lot to me.

With all of this running around, I feel my body responding negatively. I worry about high blood pressure from time to time and the last thing I want to do is add another daily pill to my life. I know that instilling the idea of patience in my life will serve me. However, it is a task.

Reframing thoughts and habits

Patience requires me to turn my focus inward when I’m in that pharmacy line. I have to reign in my negative thoughts towards the slow customer service. I have to readjust my expectations or occupy myself with something else. Sometimes, just simply telling myself that I have more than enough time to wait puts me in a calm state.

Writing this actually makes me want to look into knitting and crocheting. It’s an activity that occupies my thoughts while I wait. Even being intentional about bring books or music will help me navigate these moments with success.

Positive impacts of practicing patience

The road to patience is a journey we are all on. I think back on moments where I practiced patience and it helped me face my anxiety or stops it before it even happens.

Compassion for others

Patience tests my ability to show compassion for others. It also makes me more flexible as an individual. My mood is better, and I tend to not be short with co-workers. Patience often takes the pressure off of even the most mundane tasks and allows for my interactions with others to be pleasurable.

Patience also lets me take in my surroundings and consider all of the factors that make something work efficiently. At the very least by the time I’m served, patience helps me become the customer who values the people who are serving me at the moment. The joy of patience is that I get to know a stranger. We exchange brief connection that makes my happy and hopefully puts a smile on someone's face.

Let’s talk? What really tries your patience? How do you deal with it?