Developing Patience - Page 2
- Practice restraint. Stop and consider the harm you might inflict by acting or speaking
impulsively toward someone who moves through life at a difference pace. Then mentally list the immediate and long-term
benefits of holding back.
- Talk to yourself. Remind yourself how important tolerance and respect are. Ask yourself, "Who
appointed you Czar of the Universe?" Or say things like, "This too is part of Divine Order" and "Accept a little more, agonize a
little less." Continue your line of self-speak until you are feeling calm and peaceful again.
- Of course, you'll need to tailor your
interior dialog to fit the situation. For example, if you find yourself losing patience with a child, remind yourself how
long it took you to learn something as a child. If it's an adult you're being impatient with, ask yourself: "Which is better,
trying to hurry others to get in step with you or making them feel accepted, supported and appreciated?" Feeding your mind with the
appropriate self-talk for the occasion can go a long way toward mastering patience.
- Use creative visualization to re-frame situations that try your patience. For example,
you can playfully visualize an entirely different perspective, one grounded in perfect patience, even if it seems out of character
for you. Mentally rework and refine this scenario to a new model, one that is the most satisfying and beneficial for all
concerned. Hold onto this ideal and revisit it whenever you find yourself becoming impatient.
- Write notes to yourself, reminding yourself to be more patient, and post them
in conspicuous places. If you're at a loss for words, consider one of the following quotations:
"Patience and fortitude conquer all things." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
"If you are patient in a moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow." — Chinese Proverb
"The strongest of all warriors are these two: time and patience." — Leo Tolstoy
"He that can have patience can have what he will." — Benjamin Franklin
"The reward of patience is patience." — St. Augustine.
- Meditate on patience. That last quotation above has profound occult significance and is
worthy seed for meditation.
- Affirm patience daily. "I enjoy living in the power and peace of patience" is a
good affirmation. So is "I choose to live in harmony with the greater rhythm of life."
- Lastly, but very importantly, reinforce your spiritual approach to cultivating patience with
practical strategies like these: (1) If you're going out, allow yourself ample time to get to your destination. (2) Schedule trips to gasoline stations,
libraries, etc. for times when they won't be crowded. (3) Identify those situations that try your patience, then
prepare for them by bringing along some music or reading material. (4) Go for a walk. Physical exercise dissipates tension and
restores mental poise. (5) Patience wears thin when blood sugar drops, so stay ahead of your hunger. (6) Get more
sleep. Lack of sleep compromises your ability to deal effectively with trying situations.
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