A life well lived contains an infinite supply of patience.
My mother used to quote St. Augustine who said, “The reward of patience is patience.” Few words ring more true than those.
I can easily recall years ago when I had very little patience. I spent a lot of my time in annoyance, frustration, judgment, complaining, criticism, anger and hurt. Ugh. It was no way to live. In my daily travels I see lack of patience everywhere. It is always easy to spot because lack of patience looks and feels painful. In line at the store, the woman who has to wait 3 minutes for her cappuccino is annoyed and frustrated because she has no patience. She leaves the store in a huff, but not without first inflicting everyone else in the store with her lack of patience. In the parking lot, the man who cannot wait peacefully for 15 seconds while someone backs out of their spot nearly causes an accident, blares his horn, startles people and creates a wave of violent feeling anger as he passes by. I’ve been that person. I remember what it felt like to live that way.
My commitment to practicing patience in the small inconveniences has given me the capacity to build the strength to have patience in the deeply challenging situations. Every day I am grateful for my ability to practice patience. Every day I reap the rewards.
When I choose not to be patient then I’m giving in to resistance and reluctance to be loving. I’d rather be true to myself and BE Loving. Even when it’s not easy. If this is your challenge too, I invite you to register for my free call this Saturday-
Roto-Rooter Your Resistance & Reluctance! – Healing the Habits of Fear at the ROOT
Today I take every instance of frustration and annoyance as an opportunity to build my patience skills. I’m never upset for the reason I think. I’m upset because I’m thinking it should be different. I’m upset because I’m resisting Love when Love is all that matters.
I am grateful for every moment of practice. I remind myself how valuable a skill patience is and that it’s rewards are great. I am committed to walking in patience as part of my daily practice of nonviolence. I smile and breathe through the tension and I move the world in a direction of kindness through my daily nonviolent choices and actions.
Affirmation:
I AM willing to choose Love!
