“He that can have Patience, can have what he will”*

My dad’s patience quotient was abysmal. If he was explaining geometry to me, and I didn’t get it right away, he became frustrated.  If he started searching for something he misplaced and couldn’t find it within 10 seconds, he’d get frustrated. If he was ready to leave the house, and we were all fussing about, yep, he became frustrated. I think he was frustrated about far weightier issues than these, but nevertheless, this was his pattern.

Unfortunately, I inherited the lack-of-patience gene. I was always in a perpetual race with myself and frustrated by other’s tardiness, dawdling or slow comprehension. I arrived at appointments early, without fail, and became upset when others were late. I finished my assignments before their deadlines and would feel disappointed when my editors didn’t get back to me pronto. If I didn’t hear from a potential client when he said he’d call, I’d call him. When I explained an idea to an employee, I expected her to understand it right away. If a problem arose, I couldn’t wait to solve it. I usually didn’t sacrifice quality for speed, but I did drive myself—and others—to drink, or at least, to distraction.

I’ve worked hard to change. Although I still want to solve problems quickly and prefer people to call when they say they will, I understand that patience can indeed be a virtue. It’s also a necessity to becoming a happier FOF woman.

Sometimes I’m even late for appointments .

* Benjamin Franklin

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0 Responses to ““He that can have Patience, can have what he will”*”

  1. Duchesse says:

    For me, a regular meditation practice has helped very much.

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  2. Divamom-Act II says:

    The only way to achieve patience is to be patient. That’s the horrible truth of the matter.

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  3. ClaireOKC says:

    This brings one response: “Amen, brother (or sister)!” I’m of the same ilk as you…instant gratification takes too long (no that’s not my quote, but I love it and it fits me beautifully). I think my main purpose on this Earth is to learn patience, and indeed I’ve seen patience, perseverance, stamina and just plain ol’ stick-to-it-ive-ness will win out in places, events and situations that had no business succeeding! Now that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a place for our getting things done manner, it just means sometimes the big stuff needs to “cook” for a while before it’s ready to come out of the oven!

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  4. Maureen@IslandRoar says:

    I agree. It’s a good thing to strive for. My own dad couldn’t wait in the grocery line w/o switching back and forth, convinced his line was moving too slow. Same in traffic. I will stay on the same line till I die as a result.

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