Happy Friday, and perhaps I should start by thanking you all for patiently waiting over a month for another post :) I would love to tell you I just climbed kilamanjaro, swam with the dolphins off Poipu Bay, then read the Encyclopedia Britanica's entire collection, and I just didn't have the time or Internet connection to write a blog post! However, that would be a lie. I.have.no.idea.where.the.time.goes.
I digress. "Patience is a virtue." Despite the cliche-ness of this saying, I love it because our patience are tested in every moment of everyday in a variety of ways, and we all struggle to some degree with remaining patient. The other part that I love is that it is a 'virtue'. A virtue is a quality deemed to be morally excellent and is thus valued as a foundation of good moral being.
I believe the reason that this quality is held in such high regard is that it is terribly hard to do, and patience are many times developed in times of troubles and hardship. I decided to write this because my patience are currently being tested and in the moments I feel mad (crazy) about this self control I am having to exhibit, I feel that my outlet is in the form of communicating about it. The outcome of my situation is going to be great and that is a fact I can not deny. The other undeniable fact is that the outcome will be delivered on someone else's time which is why I pause to quiet the mind and push patience into high gear.
I read a book 14 months ago called, 'The Practice of Patience', and it was a lovely read illustrating how we can better manage our daily situations. We are tested constantly by things at work, our children calling 'mom' a thousand times, our significant others bad habits, traffic, waiting for our order at a restaurant, waiting in line anywhere, strangers stopping in the middle of the aisle at the store....that may or may not be a personal pet peeve :)
I encourage everyone to take a moment to practice their patience. Whether that be through reading a book with tips on this, meditating, counting to 10, or binge drinking.... Ok, maybe not binge drinking, how about a 30 min sweat session instead?! We will all be better servants of the community, mothers, sisters, daughters, significant others, employees, and human beings for it.
A suggestion: when you want to explode, first think with compassion. What might the other person be going through? What terrible accident may have caused this traffic? Will my life be any different for getting on with 'it' a few moments later? Does his annoying habit of passing gas really prevent his stomach from hurting and making him sick? Ummm yea, whatever Heeeee says.
I love this because at the core of this message lies patience:
Before you act, listen
Before you react, think
Before you spend, earn
Before you criticize, wait
Before you pray, forgive
Before you quit, try
- Ernest Hemingway
Peace & Patience to you all!
