We begin our lives with a few obligations, we pledge allegiance to the flag, we swear to return the library books, but as we get older, we make vows, we make promises, we get burdened by commitment - to tell the truth and nothing but to love and cherish till death do us part. So we just keep running up the tab until we owe everything to everybody and suddenly think.
Frustration is not the key to any door. As Barbara Johnson once wrote,
“Patience is the ability to idle your
motor when you feel like stripping your
gears.” Patience is connected to so
much of our success. Without it, many
of our goals suffer.
Patience is a simple concept, but isn’t
an easy character trait to master!
Patience involves other character traits like empathy,
impulse control and respect. It also takes time, practice and
experience.
According to economists and writers, a good education can impart
skills like patience, manners, discipline and perseverance.
A Chinese proverb says it well, “One moment of patience may ward off
great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.”
Often the best teachers are our mistakes. When we step back, we
sometimes see that our mistakes were made in haste. As Dr. Robyn
Silverman once wrote, “Patience can prevent careless mistakes. You
may be the fastest at reaping what you sow but if, in your hastiness
you forget to plant the seed, you’ll be the first one with a handful of
dirt.” If you look back on the mistakes you or others you know have
made, how do you think patience could have saved them from the
negative results they have achieved?
Here are some ways to help you gain some patience and stay
calm when life gets a little hectic:
1. Take time to take a breath: When you
are over-scheduled it can make anyone’s patience wear thin. Take a
look at the schedule and make sure that there is time to stop running.
If there isn’t, ask yourself, what can I take out of my schedule to make
room for…me?
2. Make the time to do something unique : It doesn’t need to be
anything fancy. Pull the shades and watch a movie. Bring out the game
boards and have a me game night
3. Ask, what’s this all about?: When things get tense and tempers
run hot, ask yourself where the frustration is coming from this time.
Is it something that can be addressed? Sometimes we get frustrated
with each other when the real problem is that we need help with a
subject in school, we’re worried about work, or we’re involved in a
conflict with a friend. When we shine high beams on the real problem,
we can better cope.
4. Apologize: When we say something we don’t mean, we need to be
accountable for it. That means both apologizing for it and taking steps
to make it better. We need to know that simply brushing
negativity under the rug is not the answer and only creates resentment
and impatience. Accountability, on the other hand, creates
understanding and patience.
5. Acknowledge that it’s hard: The school year can get hectic.
Running around isn’t easy but sometimes, it’s necessary. Just allowing
everyone to admit that it’s stressful and challenging can do wonders
for dispersing the anxiety and frustration that leads to impatience
6. Find out if this is what everyone wants: Sometimes we run
around because we are doing things that are necessary and desired.
Other times, we do it because “everyone else is” or “it’s what we’ve
always done.” Stop and ask, “is this what we want?” Sometimes you’ll
find that the impatience stems from a desire to pair things down,
simplify, and slow down the pace.
Today be calm, take a deep breathe and avoid the rush hour syndrome.
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huh
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