What is patience?
The dictionary defines this word as;
The quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
An ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.
I was asked the other day if I practice patience in my life.
Wow, it took me aback. What did this person mean? Why did she ask me that?
Confused, I didn’t think any more about it until today. Why did this hit such a cord with me?
There is something incredibly uncomfortable about have a mirror held up in front of yourself and having to really think about the way you live.
This is what this question did for me.
It was the mirror I need to have placed in front of me, and now I'm hoping this may be your mirror.
After thinking long and hard about the word patience and if I practice it in my life. The answer is, no! I don’t practice the art of being patient, especially lately.
I know I need patience in a lot of what I do, but sometimes knowing you need to do something and actually doing it - well they can be two different things.
I've never been a patient person.
I have always - even from my early years - wanted things done my way and wanted them now.
Growing up in a large family (I am one of six kids), you'd think I would have learnt, right! No!!
Don’t get me wrong I do have the ability to be patient. We all do. I have just let this important lesson slip of late and this question was a timely reminder.
When I looked up the definition of the word Patience, was struck by the words which appeared - words like; annoyance, pain, irritation, delay.
How often do we deal with these emotions in our day to day lives?
Especially when we are in the process of losing very unwanted kilograms?
Weight loss is as much a mental battle as a physical one, I've touched on that a lot. What makes this mental battle even harder??
Words like; annoyance, pain, irritation, delay!!!!!
This is what really hit home to me, when I was thinking about this question.
Now I'm not saying I'm going to completely change, and now be the most patient person in the world. As much as my husband would love that to be true, that is completely unrealistic.
I will however be thinking of this more often. I will be making an effort to think about this sentence -
An ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.
Whenever things are not going as quickly as I'd like them too.
Or when I'm irritated with my progress.
Or when I'm running up a hill as fast as I can, and my legs are burning.
I will think about this when I want to give up. Because sometimes all we need is a little patience.
Speak soon
Court
