Thomas Sterner, author of The Practicing Mind said, “All the patience you will ever need is already within you.”
Is this hard to believe? Why or why not?
Patience is defined as “quiet perseverance” and may be one of our most sought-after qualities. It is a gateway virtue to forgiveness, tolerance, and charity.
How often do we hear others yelling and screaming obscenities at each other, witness road rage, or hear reports of individuals taking the life of a loved one?
Blame is a tool of distraction often used to justify behavior or shirk responsibility for actions taken, yet patience is always available.
What drives us to impatience if patience is always an option?
There are two important steps in finding more patience:
1. Becoming aware of your internal dialogue. Notice the way you think and talk to yourself, listen to your thoughts about your circumstances and those around you. Pay attention when it escalates. Even the thought, “I’m running out of patience” isn’t really true. It’s just a thought. It may feel true but doesn’t serve us in any way to think that.
2. Understand and accept that we don’t reach perfection in anything in this life—true perfection is always evolving and will be relative throughout our lives. If we think that life will be great IF or WHEN…then we may struggle unnecessarily with impatience. Start by learning how to participate in and enjoy the present moment.
Impatience is wanting things to be different than they are. How much energy do we waste wishing away reality?
When we focus in the present moment, rather than worrying about the future, a quality of calmness can come over us. The next time you find yourself in the middle of impatience, stop to recognize your breath, feel your legs and arms, notice the breeze on your face, and smell the air. Express gratitude for those things that you appreciate. See the wonder available in the world and draw on the patience that is already there within you. All that you will ever need.
