There’s one word that seems to be showing up more often in my conversations with clients, friends and family members. It’s patience. Or perhaps the lack of it. Too many of us are in too much of a hurry. We’re bombarded day after day with social media images of those who ‘made it’ and don’t see why we can’t have it all too. We not only want something, but we also want it now, and we end up creating needless stress because of our inability to get what we need at the time we want it.
We want the relationship our dreams, for example, and get frustrated because we can’t manifest it immediately. The irony, though, is that the impatience we feel may be the stumbling block that’s keeping us from having it. Impatience may make us feel overly anxious when trying to build a relationship with someone we like. Or it may make us put pressure on the other person to reciprocate those feelings, with the result of pushing away that person if she/he is not ready for that kind of expression.
Or perhaps we want to improve our income or prestige by going after a new job or a promotion. Not practicing patience may cause us to come off as too aggressive in trying to impress a boss or too needy in a job interview.
I’ll admit it could be hard to find the proper balance to get our desired outcomes. We have to be persistence in going after what we want and yet also realize that there’s wisdom in the journey. Taking the time to build trust with a prospective partner is better than trying to rush things. Working on mastering business skills will pay off with increased confidence that will show up in how we communicate with those we seek to impress.
Set reasonable goals for yourself. Give yourself permission to embrace the gift of time in order to gain the clarity, wisdom and self-assurance that can’t be mastered in a day. And remember the word patience. It will keep you grounded and calm and not allow those negative emotions of anxiety or annoyance to thwart you.