“They” say patients is a virtue, though we tend to live our lives as if it were a vice.
Many of us live our lives not as if patience is going out of style, but as if we killed it off around the same time we invented 24-hour Taco Bell (likely because we did). We live in a world where instant messenger is a thing of the past and fast food is too slow.
Instead, we are a society in high demand of whatever we want, whenever we want it. Naturally, this backfires the second we need to stick around for a little bit of patience. Not everybody is going to be as instant as the apps with which we run our lives. Girlfriends don’t answer our text messages in a timely manner and it sets us on edge. Friends don’t return phone calls, videos don’t buffer fast enough, and the State Farm guy puts us on hold.
Patience is a muscle and if we don’t use it, we lose it.
The moments in life that test that patience muscle (like when he isn’t texting you back), then become excruciating and we fail to deal with life’s simple inconveniences. Our lack of patience can backfire and make an ordinary day without a text, a painful ordeal we’ll never survive.
Or, you could exercise your patience muscle and learn how to deal with life’s inconveniences just a wee bit better. For example:
Cook More (from scratch!):
If receiving your order of food or a coffee from a fast-food establishment exceeds two minutes, the order is considered too slow.
Two minutes!
To become more patient (and to live healthier!), avoid fast-food altogether. If that’s not possible (and let’s be honest, it is not), then just cook more often.
Cooking from scratch requires great patience and practice: the more you cook, the more patience you need. Cooking nurtures a greater sense of patience, provides a great sense of personal achievement and helps you learn an important skill-set that is sure to impress family and friends whom you care about.
Wait a few minutes before you dig into your meal:
While I’m not religious (and most Millennials are not), I always try to take a few moments of gratitude before I dig into my food. I’m not thanking Buddha, Jesus, the Sun god, or any other religious entity. I’m simply grateful that the food is there. I’m grateful somebody grew it, prepared it, sold it, and took care of whatever necessary steps it took to get the food to my plate.
Take a few minutes to deny your starving self your meal and be grateful that you are #blessed. It increases the patience muscle just a smidge.
Breathe:
Breathing is an integral part of not just yoga, but it’s also a pretty big component of life. It doesn’t matter whether or not your follow Eastern philosophies. Simply being aware of your breath throughout the day is a way of growing your patience muscle.
Be aware of your breath as you sit in class and stare at the clock. Pay attention to it while you chew your food and be mindful of it as you sit on the subway.
If you practice taking note of your breathing when you don’t need to be aware of it, you’ll learn control and patience when you do need it (like those moments when some idiot at the bar tries to start a fight with you).
Take yourself on adventures:
When I previously lived on the outskirts of New York City, I used to take my journal and iPod into the city with me on a Saturday afternoon. I’d lose myself downtown, or wander through Central Park by myself.
While these days were far from truly being adventurous, it allowed me to see an aspect of my city I wasn’t used to. I saw the people, I navigated the Subways, and I got lost in the streets.
Practice giving yourself these small opportunities to be frustrated with being lost and alone (just not too lost!) and allow yourself to figure it out. You may be surprised by what you learn along the way.
[Featured Image Credit: LinkedIn]