Patience is a Virtue

Patience is a virtue? Why? Who ever got ahead of the game by waiting? What's so virtuous about letting time slip by? "Patience is a virtue," is another one of those sayings of everyday wisdom. Let's explore why.

Have you ever been tired of waiting? Do you get bored to the point of hating having to stand on line or get to your destination? Of course, you are not alone. Most people have this issue. It goes much deeper than most people realize. A lot of people are really uncomfortable with everyday life because they want to get to a "more desirable" stage of their lives. It is really a low level of background stress. All stress is resistance to what is.

People who can't wait are actually causing themselves undue stress. There have been many others before myself who have spoken of this state of mind and have come up with solutions for it. Buddha, Ram Dass, Petter Russell, and Eckhart Tolle; just to name a few. This information is far from new. It is simply overlooked most of the time.

Being impatient is actually a resistance and denial of what is going on right now. It is taking the current moment as a means to an end. When you stop and look at life though, you must realize that all power and the way you experience and interpret life is always in the present moment. (Aha!) So naturally, it does not feel good to be in resistance to what is going on.

The solution to this "problem" is to be as present in the here and now as much as possible. This may sound harder for some than others; but it is something that any and everyone can do. It really requires learning how to shut off the automatic thought stream of the mind and appreciating the stillness and aliveness of the present. It literally transforms the meaning of the moment from a means to an end to the gift that is the present.

The benefits of this are an elimination of stress or anxiety. You feel better. Time actually seems to move faster; and your life is enriched as a result. This is the virtuous aspect of patience. I like to break down the word patience as: "pace your self with the essence." It is literally a shifting of perspective from the NO of resistance of what is to the YES of acceptance and adapting to what is.

For more on how to achieve this rewarding perspective, read What Is Really Good? and stay tuned!