Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.
-Unknown.
Patience. It’s the one thing people joke about to never ask for or pray for otherwise you are in for even more trouble! Some people wear impatience as a badge of honor, especially if it has to do with fixing a deficiency, issue, or problem. The problem with being impatient is that it can choke out development and cause you to overmanage parts of your life.
“Get out of the way and I can fix this!”
Ever been tested because someone is taking longer (significantly longer at times) to do something that you can do very quickly? The quick answer is to just move them out of the way and do it yourself. Besides, it’s more efficient at the moment. The long term is being sacrificed here for the short term. You weren’t always the master and lightning fast at some of the things you do really well. Patience with a moment or person gives them a chance to develop and grow. It also gives them a chance to contribute to the team and help take some load off of you. They very well may end up as a better expert at it than you are.
“I’ve got Patience. I can win a staring contest with a sloth.”
You’ve got patience? Well, that’s great! Like all things in life, it’s got to be a balance. Too much patience can actually be a hindrance too. It can make you wait too long and miss opportunities. You may also let issues grow from lack of action. Keep mindful of the situation, the surrounding environment, and a sense of urgency when balancing your patience. You can have all the patience in the world when teaching CPR. The time to teach and have patience is not when you need to actually perform CPR. Remember the balance and you’ll do well.
Patience is a virtue. Strike the balance to allow others to contribute, but be aware enough to know when to step in and execute.
Make a better tomorrow.
-ZH
