April 10, 2007

Idle Your Motor With Patience   All good things come to he who waits.    True or false?   The answer is as individual as you are.   Patience is the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties.  Some of us have it, and some of us don't.    On the other hand, impatience is the annoyance and unwillingness to wait and/or the eagerness to do something immediately, rather than later.   Impatience leads to: ·        Increased stress. ·        The inability to stay on the balance beam. ·        A rise in blood pressure. ·        The impairment of your ability to think clearly. ·        Temper flare-ups. ·        A decreased ability to trust yourself. ·        Relationships which suffer as you are unable to communicate clearly and/or you fly off the handle easily with others. ·        The inability to reach your goals as you drop out when the going gets tough or the end in sight is taking too long to reach.   Most importantly, impatience can cause you to be your own worst enemy.  In your haste to have it all or do it all, or to be in charge, you can do stupid things which you later regret.  For instance, outbreaks at work when you become impatient with employees or the rules, yelling at your children when they interrupt you, spending money you don't have because you need the latest and the greatest right now, and impatience with the patient who asks a thousand questions.  Moreover, you make decisions in haste which turn out to be disastrous, all because you are impatient.  Immediate gratification takes its toll.    Patience is a discipline which doesn't come easy for many people.  However, it is an art which can be learned and practiced.   Follow these tips.  Stop, count to ten and breathe deeply as you feel yourself ready to fly off the handle.  In the grand scheme of life, ask yourself how critical the issue at hand is. "Don't sweat the small stuff," as Richard Carlson says. If you are waiting for an answer or a deal to go through and find yourself getting impatient, refocus your attention.  Get your mind off the deal and onto something else that needs to be done. Likewise, listen to motivational CDs or books on tape while stuck in traffic.  People-watch while waiting in long lines, or strike up a conversation with the person next in line. Acknowledge when you are being patient and notice how it feels. Acknowledge the ups and downs which are always present in life.  You might take a few steps backward, but when you are patient, the upward movement will soon follow.  Don't miss it. However, do not use patience as an excuse to not work diligently to reach your goals.  Action is required!   Most importantly, create the intention to be patient.  Make a pact that for the next fifteen minutes you will be patient, no matter what comes your way.  Apply it to different situations and gradually increase the time.  Your intent to be patient and following through with your actions will give you the confidence to become a more patient person.         "Learn the art of patience.  Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal.  Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure.  Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success."             Brian Adams   "Patience is the companion of wisdom." St. Augustine "Patience is also a form of action." Auguste Rodin   "Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears."             Barbara Johnson        Patience has never been one of my virtues.  I must have it now, do it now, spend it now, see it now, and the list goes on and on.  My impatience has gotten me in trouble more times than I care to admit.  Give me a dotted line and I'm ready to sign.    BUT, that was then and I have made much progress.  I'm not so eager to jump into the pit these days and have learned to trust, quiet myself, and be more patient.  I didn't say it was easy, but it makes for a more balanced life.  Fortunately, John is patient so he helps balance our relationship.    Unfortunately, our daughter is not so patient.  Like mother, like daughter!  We were apartment shopping in Tampa in February and found a great apartment, but John and I insisted that we WAIT till now to work out a lease since Valerie and her roommate would still be in the dorm until early May.   Lo and behold the condo was still available.  But, trying to explain to Val that another apartment could be found if this one was rented was hopeless.  She'll learn, as will our son John.  He can be impatient also.   Have a fantastic week and idle your motor with patience.   Stephanie          We grow by "word-of-email" so please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone whom you think might benefit from and enjoy it. Thanks so much! Contact Us: stephanie@7steps2abalancedlife.com