Thought for the Week –
Patience can be a really useful tool in our road to happiness. It's not easy to master but if we make an effort, we will notice benefits.
How do we use patience during times like an argument, stuck in a bad situation or waiting in a queue?
Arguments
The argument scenario can be difficult if we let our emotions take over. Once they get a hold of us it can be a real challenge regaining control of ourselves. The trick is to get our attitude sorted out, at the very beginning. If we can take the view that the other person has a right to their opinion but so do we, it will help calm our eotions. They may have something relevant to say and it may even be valuable. If we can detach ourselves from the emotions stirred up by the topic, we can see the other person's point of view and make an overall appraisal of the subject.
To end an argument gracefully can be tricky. If we try to say “Thanks for your opinion, I’ll think about it.” That is easier said than done, but if we then leave the person, there is no further communication possible and we can get away from the conflict.
Difficult Situations
In a difficult situation using patience can often mean just waiting for time to pass or taking time to learn from and make the most of the situation. For example I had a stand at a fair recently which after a few hours it became apparent that it hadn't been advertised well. There were very few people coming to the show. There were two options, pack up and go home or just wait it out and see what happens. I choose to wait it out and was rewarded with a sale late in day. I was able to do some work while I was there so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.
Learning from a situation can be difficult as we can suffer a lot as we learn to deal with the challenge. For example, a good friend decided to do a training course away from home in a foreign city. She lived in Dublin, Ireland and moved to London, England to do the course. She was now in a place she had never been before, had no friends there, and had a challenging course to get through. She could have thrown in the towel at any time and go back to Dublin but she stuck it out and completed the course. As a result she made lots of new friends, discovered and explored a new city, and got honours studying the subject she loved.
In a queue
So now we are standing in a queue for, what seems like ages. It could be anywhere. In the post office, at the doctor’s, in the airport or bus station. There is no logical reason for how the length of time we are waiting here. How do we get out of this mood of impatience?
If we can make contact with our imagination, it can bring us to some wonderful places, while our body waits in the queue. Our holidays were great, remember the sunshine, the fun we had, the craic at night? Or what if we could meet a friend or relative for a short time. What would we talk about, how would we greet each other, wouldn’t it be great to see them again?
If we’re anxious to get moving to finish a project by a certain time it is helpful to be aware that everything is in its proper place right now. If we’re being delayed, it is for a reason. We can use the time usefully by imagining our selves at work completing the project. If we go through the various steps to complete the job, we will know exactly what to do when we get there and we’ll do it a lot faster, as we will have rehearsed it previously.
Chant a good word
Is there a word which makes you feel good, brings you to a positive place. The one I use a lot is HU. It connects me with my higher self, Soul. With a bit of practice it can work for you. There are more detail about it here. It is something I’d use to help me remain calm and centred it all the challenges mentioned above, arguments, difficult situations and while waiting in queues.
The Tool Box
So there we have a few techniques in our tool box of patience. In an argument, keep our emotions under control and thank the other person for their opinion. In a difficult situation let time sort it out or take time to learn from the situation and reap the benefits. In a queue, use our imaginations to travel back to our holidays, meet a friend or work out a job to be done. Use a positive word like HU, to keep you calm and centred.
If you have a story on using patience, we’d love to read it. Click on ‘Comments’ below and start telling us.
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