The Art Of Patience
Posted on Fri, Oct 28, 2011 @ 12:42 PM
Hello Girlfriends – The two most powerful warriors are patience and time….Leo Tolstoy
We want things “NOW!” We have been conditioned over time that we live in a society of instant gratification. With the upgrade of technology and our instant society we expect ANSWERS NOW! We’re hungry we drive through fast food restaurants to get our food quickly. (No waiting – well except if everyone else in that city decides on the same thing – FAST FOOD – then there’s a long line and our patience gets tested).
It’s said that Patience Is a Virtue – so I researched this a bit because I know for myself I struggle with having so much patience in some parts of my life but then having ZERO patience in other parts of my life. On Answers.com it states, “The phrase “patience is a virtue” is just a way of expressing the importance of being patient. A virtue is a trait or quality deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. Patience can make us better people. The definition of the word is to tolerate delay implying self control and forbearance. When we say “patience is a virtue” we are exposing our moral values and expressing importance of patience as a foundation of principle. So to answer the question patience is not a virtue until it truly becomes a virtue and knowing how diverse the spectrum of individualism is I’m sure patience is a vice (opposite of virtue) to some. Patience is a necessity for a happy existence and that is why the phrase is so often used.
So with all that stated and knowing that patience is a necessity for a happy existence why do we fall out of patience? We all do it – look around at the grocery stores, when you have to wait in line somewhere, in traffic and someone cuts you off, in the blog world and your traffic is not up from you last blog post. In relationships we display impatience with our partners. Isn’t love to be patient. So I reflect inward and I ask, “Okay if I love myself and love is patient then patience is love and I love myself enough to be a patient person with myself.” To have patience for others we must be patient with ourselves and there lies the battle. The internal struggle with self! Thus, the reason why we want everything “NOW” – answers to our challenges that arise in our daily lives – “NOW!” By getting our answers “NOW” then we don’t have to deal with any pain, fear and the unknown. Instead we don’t have the answers “NOW” – we don’t understand why the waiting? We don’t understand the dessert moments in our lives. These are the moments of being “STILL” – when I say STILL, I don’t mean we keep thinking and worrying about the issue we are battling – STILL to me means – Letting The Issue Go and getting out of the way of GOD – DIVINE- SOURCE – UNIVERSE. There’s work to be done so get out of HIS way! In my own life it’s the moments when I let go and move out of HIS way that the MAGIC happens.
These are the moments when we get clarity and sometimes you can even look back at a situation and have an “AH-HA” moment and say, “I know why I had to WAIT and be PATIENT.” So next time you’re in traffic, a long line or your partner is testing your patience – BREATH – in and out slowly – remind yourself that you are LOVE and BE STILL!
Patience breeds happiness, love, and peace while impatience breeds anxiety, stress and fear….
Remember, may the possibilities of today excite us all!
Nancy Shields has a passion to create a better world by connecting and inspiring women! She is the creator of www.makeGirlfriends.com, a social networking site designed for women to meet.share.inspire one another through the adventure we call life! Nancy's inspiration came 3 years ago when she discovered that her husband was having an affair. She had two choices; become a victim or turn a negative into a positive. So she positively packed her bags and landed in the farthest state she could choose, California. Once home, Nancy vividly recalls a conversation she had with a girlfriend about the nightmare of dating. The concept of MakeGirlfriends.com was born and in action. "It really works!", says Nancy. Here, women can connect with other “girlfriends”, because without our “girlfriends” in life, it can get tough out there! Nancy encourages women to share their inspirational stories on the homepage called “YOUR VOICE”. You never know how many lives you will touch by sharing your story...she can be reached via email at nancy@makegirlfriends.com.