Patience

I am not a patient person. It has never been anywhere near the top of my virtues. As I have grown, though, I have realized that there is nothing in life that you can't work on (we do train muscles after all). So, I am practicing patience daily. Here's how:

  • Gratitude: I sit in gratitude for where I am in my life and how far I have come. 
  • Journaling: I explore patience through writing in my journal (and on my blog of course). I think about the ways I was patient during the day and the ways I could have employed more patience. I consider the people I impacted by being impatient. I forgive myself in the moments I lost my cool and treat it as a learning experience. 
  • Listening: I listen with intent. I hesitate to interrupt the conversation or to jump to conclusions. Through coaching, I listen and let clients come to their own solutions. It takes time for people to discover themselves and identify the best routes forward. 
  • Meditation: Sitting in silence trains the patience muscle. Sit in your thoughts, hear them come and go, and do nothing in response. 
  • Slow down: Sometimes, I move too fast. I rush through projects to mark them off the list. By slowing down I live in the process. Sometimes it is frustrating but every time, it is a learning experience. 
Maybe the next time I write on this topic, I'll be able to report that I AM a patient person. Through practice and growth, we can train anything. Stay tuned!

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