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Impatience has been around for a long time, there is nothing new about people losing their patience while stuck in traffic or a waiting line. In recent years many folks are less patient as a result of technology.
Digital technology ranging from cell phones to cameras to email to iPads which is now changing our lives.
The instant result we get from this technology have in turn increased our appetite for instant gratification in other aspects of our lives. When we take a look around us today, we will discover that we’ve developed an immediate gratification culture & we expect things to move quickly, efficiently & in the way we want. When it doesn’t happen, we tend to become increasingly frustrated & irritable of impatience.
You will probably agree that the more patient you are the more likely you are to enjoy better health, make better decisions & have good friends. Let’s consider the following points on how to be more patient.
- Identify the causes: The things or situations that make you impatient have been called impatient triggers. The question is what triggers your impatience? Are there specific individuals who try your patience? For instance are you likely to lose your patience when you have to wait for others or when you are running late? How can merely identifying your patience trigger help?
There is the saying that sensible people forsee trouble & hide from it. But gullible people go ahead & suffer the consequence. There is a saying that says “if you anticipate or foresee your bouts of impatience, you may be able to prevent them”. At first, you may have to make calculated efforts to be more patient, but in time ‘patience’ can become a quality that comes naturally to you. - Simplify your life: The brain cannot concentrate on several things, overtime, multitasking erodes our ability to stay focused & this eventually eats away at traits like patience, tenacity/judgement & problem-solving. So slow down and smell the roses.
As an old proverb says, “make time to enjoy life”. Make time to ascertain a deep friendship with a couple of individuals, rather than pursuing a shallow friendship with a huge network of people. Budget your time & set your priorities wisely.
In other to simplify your life, you may need to look at your daily routine where you can slow down or cut down. Remember the saying that for everything there is an appointed time; maybe this is the time to eliminate some things so you are not too busy to be patient. - Be realistic: Have a realistic view of life. First of all, in reality, things don’t continuously happen as quick as we have a tendency to want. Accept the facts that time moves at the speed of time & not at the speed of your expectation, that is patience…Secondly, remember that you cannot always control your circumstances. Instead of losing your patience over circumstances that are beyond your control, try to identify things that you can dominate.
If wailing is the only option, use the time to do something productive, such as doing some meaningful reading or writing down your plans for future activities.
The reality of life is that it does little good to worry over things that you cannot control, finally, you can be more patient when you develop a spiritual life. A God-fearing person is more inclined to display patience, along with other important virtues such as love, joy, peace, gentleness & self-control
