Patience is a virtue

HE old adage, patience is a virtue, has been around for centuries but still today in 2017, many don’t seem to appreciate its importance.

I am also guilty of being impatient in my earlier years until certain circumstances brought me to the point of realising that patience is crucial to a healthy co-existence.

In simple terms, patience requires a mindset that is sufficiently strong to deal with and tolerate issues that are extremely challenging.

Patience is not only limited to waiting over a period of time for a particular outcome, but can also occur in relation to another person’s behaviour and/or actions.

We live in a world that offers a myriad of changes on a daily basis…some positive whilst others are not, and therefore, individuals who display high levels of patience are often considered unique creatures or even possessing a special kind of mind.

Being patient does not land well with everyone, and those who experience such difficulty, sometimes seek therapeutic help which includes meditation, mindfulness, and restructuring frustrated thoughts which have proven to be quite successful.

Research, coupled with my own personal experience show that patience helps in minimising stress and also provides a choice about how one should respond to disappointment and frustration.

Having patience offers tremendous benefits including reduced stress levels which of course creates a happier and wholesome you. You are able to exercise greater prudence in making decisions; it assists in developing understanding and compassion – processing your circumstances becomes easier and your IQ in overcoming obstacles also become sharper.

Patience is a must if one is to survive in this very high-tech global environment where everything is needed NOW. Some simple tips are recommended – start by dedicating one day per month for exercising patience in all your activities for the entire day; this is aimed at transitioning from an impatient to a patient mindset. Slow down your pace of life… many individuals live their lives like a marathon… this is also a recipe for lifestyle diseases; rushing around and attempting to do everything quickly can sometimes be disastrous.

Learn to defer gratification….Rome was not built in a day and therefore everything we need in life cannot be attained all at the same time. Always develop a list of needs and wants and based on your circumstances, prioritise the order in which you plan to acquire those things; attempting to acquire everything all at once can result in poor decision-making.

Always think before you speak…this is a common error.

Remember patience is a virtue! Sandrine Rattan is a communications/ branding consultant, author and president of the International Women’s Resource Network (IWRN) Contact: thecorporatesuitett@ gmail.

com or intlwomensresourcenetwork@ gmail.com or 283- 0318.