Exploring the Art of Patience to Create a Positive Impact

Patience and positivity go hand in hand; patience is born out of positivity, and something positive can sprout from staying patient in the most challenging situations. Understanding the intricate chains that bind the two is only possible with experience. Some learn this lesson early on, and some might reach a ripe old age. Regardless, this is something a person must learn and accept for themselves because no matter how much another person tries, they cannot make them feel or understand it.

OK, not every day I see the title of a post and exclaim “hey, what?!”. Basically the author Melissa Calvert tells that if you watch as the paint dries, eventually you will make people love you. The emphasis is on timing. We focus on speed – reading, writing,  idea generation and other productivity. But if we take time, we could build deeper relationships, and this is a form of art we are starting to forget. The focus is not on resilience or mindfulness, but on taking the time to think and not giving up.

The Dying Art of Patience

 

Patience is a dying art. People who take their time are no longer considered perfectionists, as this trait is no longer classed a virtue. Nowadays, someone who stays patient is deemed to be lazy or weak. A person who stays patient in a tough situation is not seen as strong, but as someone who can’t fight a situation or doesn’t want to change it.

Modern society rests on the pillars of technology, which is the leading cause of the decrease in human patience. The short and sweet content we are fed, coupled with automated operations have killed our patience. We don’t want to wait for anything. Below are some valuable insights taken from different sources to prove my claims:

A Survey commissioned by BIC and conducted by OnePoll shows that a person gets frustrated after waiting…

• 16 seconds for a webpage to fully load
• 25 seconds for a traffic signal to change
• 20 seconds for ink on a greeting card to dry
• 22 seconds for a show or movie to start streaming
• 18 seconds of searching for a pen
• 28 seconds for a kettle to boil
• 30 seconds in a line

The Curious Bank survey created by Fifth Third and conducted by Wakefield Research found that:

• 72 percent of Gen Y individuals push an elevator button that was already lit
• 96 percent of people knowingly consume a scalding beverage or hot food that can burn their mouth
• 71 percent frequently exceed the speed limit to reach their destination faster
• Over 50 percent hang up the phone after being on hold one minute or less

A recently published study conducted at the Technical University of Denmark showed that Twitter global trends

• of 2013 lasted for an average of 17.5 hours, while those of 2016 lasted for 11.9 hours

These surveys are not conducted on the same set of people. They are conducted on people from three different countries (Survey#1: Britain; Survey#2: U.S.; Survey#3: Denmark). Many other studies conducted around the world, also reached the same deduction – people have become more impatient in their ways than they ever were.

This is not all; technology and impatience have also resulted in a massive drop in the human attention span.

Practicing Patience for Positivity

Being patient allows us to stay positive even in the bleakest of times. Losing patience results in the rise of negative emotions in a person such as anger, jealousy, misery, sadness, and rashness. On the other hand, patience is accompanied by hope, perseverance, and strength.

“Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” – Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind

Nonetheless, people have a hard time staying patient and many a times believe that they shouldn’t have to wait for better times, things, or people. As a result, they end up making some of the most regrettable decisions in their life. They need to remember that all things worthwhile come in good time. So in the words of David Carradine, played by Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s TV show ‘Kung Fu,’ “Patience, young grasshopper.”

With patience, you need to remember to just not give up. ‘Try, try, try again like the spider’ in Eliza Cook’s poem ‘King Bruce and the Spider.’ Draw inspiration from Thomas A. Edison, who failed multiple times before building a functional light bulb. However, he didn’t give up.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison

The Positive Impact

“I’ve learned that anything in life worth having comes from patience and hard work.” – Greg Behrendt

Being patient bears fruit, regardless of how soon or late. Practicing patience has a positive impact on the life of the person practicing it.

Better relationships

According to an article published in the Journal of Management Development, people who are more patient have high levels of empathy. Empathy is a trait that makes people more agreeable to others, allowing them to experience more long-lasting and meaningful relationships with others. Also, no one likes an impatient person who acts out on minor things. Thus, people tend to be drawn more to patient individuals regardless of their own disposition.

Achieving goals

Not everyone has the perseverance in them to achieve the goals they have set or to chase after their dreams. However, Sarah A. Schnitker’s 2012 study explored and proved how being patient helped students achieve their goals. Patient people keep at a task until they complete it, long after others have given up. This not only allows them to reach their goals but also allows them to reap the benefits of their hard work.

“You need to be determined and patient to reach your goals. Without even one you cannot achieve success” – Max Grayson, (Blogger for Crowd Writer)

Better health

People who are patient experience better mental and physical fourth. People with less patience experience greater negative emotions such as stress, irritability, low self-esteem, and misery that spark their anxiety and depression. This takes a physical toll on them. Anxiety and depression lead to sleep problems, exhaustion, fluctuations in blood pressure, chronic headaches, ulcers, acne flare-ups, and more. Being patient, on the other hand, allows people to stay happier, which enables them to lead ore active and fulfilled lives. In other words, patience increases our happiness, if we allow it.

Improved decision-making

Staying patient allows a person to not only find out more about a situation, person, or problem, but it also allows them to make better decisions. People who are patient have greater resolve and mindfulness, which enables them to think more logically and calmly, thereby allowing better decision-making. Further, higher patience allows a person to gain and learn more from a situation. Taking more away from a situation again allows for better decision-making.

“Keep a cool head on your shoulders. Emotions like impatience and anger will only let you take wrong and costly decisions.” – Brian Lee (Financial Analyst, Premium Jackets)

Tricks To Develop Patience

While patience is a personality trait that is ingrained naturally in people, the extent and presence of it can vary. Some people condition themselves to adapt greater perseverance and patience in them by specific exercises and tricks. It, of course, requires determination and effort, but it is possible. You can increase your patience and endurance to practice it in bad times, through the following tips:

1. Think and evaluate a situation or problem from a neutral perspective
2. Know that giving up is not an option
3. Meditate regularly for a healthy mind
4. Think about what and how you will say something instead of directly blurting it out
5. Remember that you have the strength to deal with any and every problem
6. When you feel rushed, take it on you to slow down
7. Practice being a good listener and avoid interrupting
8. Work on self-awareness and acceptance
9. Find out what your triggers to control and prevent them
10. Take short breaks and timeouts to refocus by going on short walks or listening to music
11. Laugh and be mindful of life’s small pleasures
12. Stay patient to be patient; practice patience

Wrap up

Patience is not only a virtue, but it is also a beneficial quality to have. If you don’t have much of it, then instead of leading a train wreck of a life, try to develop and expand your level of patience. Practicing patience now will enable your future self to become better. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who are the most patient in their personal and professional life. Being patient doesn’t mean they leave things on the back burner or become careless and apathetic. In fact, being patient makes you feel more deeply about things and make you more thankful for what and who you have. So be patient!

Author Bio

Melissa Calvert is a devoted Academic Counselor for essay writing service UK at King Essay. Also, she is the owner of the website wordcountjet.com. Her ultimate goal is to reach a perfect and harmonious balance between spirituality and worldliness. Melissa aspires to help others to achieve the same bliss.