Patience; what's that?

"Patience is a virtue" said my Grandmother to me, many years ago when I was a child. Patience seems to be one of those old fashioned values that appears to have been forgotten. Everyone seems to be in such a hurry to get what they want; or to go where they want to go and being patient is not part of it. No wonder so many of us are so stressed out.

Bird Rage
Hilary Thompson

 A prime example is the child in the Supermarket with it's mother. The child is grizzly and impatient. It wants a candy bar or some other item, so to shut the child up, it is given what it wants and is allowed to eat it before it has been paid for. I find this extraordinary behaviour on the part of the parent. 
This is not teaching the child about patience. It is just teaching the child that it can have what it wants when it wants it. A very selfish and self centered way of behaving. 


Having a lack of patience causes all sorts of stress in our lives. A good example of this is  Road Rage where motorists are so impatient that they attack others for apparently being in their way. 
People get angry about having to wait for just about anything these days. It is all crazy stuff and totally unnecessary. 

Patiently Waiting
Hilary Thompson

I saw these dogs when I was out and about the other day. They were patiently waiting for their owner to return to them. There was no barking, they were just quietly waiting. Every time they saw someone heading in their direction, they stood up and wagged their tails as if to say "is this our person?" And when it wasn't, they just sat and quietly waited. A wonderful example of patience.
We could all do with cultivating more patience. Being patient with ourselves and with others   is good for our health, mental and physical. It enhances our relationships with friends, family and work mates. In a nutshell; I believe Patience is essential for living a happy and healthy life.
Having trouble with being patient? Do you get angry easily? Contact me; I can help.
Hilary Thompson
The Out and About Therapist
And
Flourishing Relationships Retreat