There comes a time in our lives when we struggle to improve things, but oftentimes we mess it up by being pushy. Not taking action in the face of adversity is unacceptable for us.

We are trained to work ourselves out of trouble instead of just waiting it out. There are times when immediate action is required, but a lot of times, the storms can pass just as smoothly while we sit and wait it out. We don’t have to look far for such examples. We are living in a similar situation currently: the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our lives are being lived in the pandemic under lockdown. People have to do ‘nothing’ to be safe. They just have to wait for the virus to finish somehow or the medicines to be invented. The action here is to be carried out by health specialists and researchers, a layman has to just sit at home and spend his day doing the usual work that he previously did in the office or at any institution.

Yet it is the hardest thing to do for people, indicating that our mind and body are designed to take control under stressful circumstances.

Have you ever wondered though, what would it be like if we just wait for things to play themselves out? Instead of honking at the car moving slowly in the front, what if you just wait for it to be out of your way?

You will be less stressed and it will be rewarding towards yourself for being patient. In a patient person’s opinion, the car in the front might have some trouble with it, or the driver is still learning. Hence, he has empathy which leads him to be patient. These two qualities may go hand in hand, but both these virtues can be achieved through practice.

The three important reasons to practice patience are: mental peace, better acquaintance with loved ones and achievement of goals. Among these three, mental peace is highly underrated. Without mental peace, the other two reasons will not exist. A sound mind can make sound decisions, while a chaotic mind will only add to the chaos.

Patience and mental peace

We live in the 21st century, where simple acts that make information reach us rapidly and abundantly, have made us impatient in anything we do. We need the results of our hard work as quickly as we get the weather update on our phones. When that doesn’t happen, stress kicks in, causing mental instability. On the other hand, people who are patient with their problems are able to enjoy true mental peace.

Suppose the due date for the assignment of a student has arrived. His laptop just stops working. He has two options: either he becomes angry at the situation, sabotaging any possibility to solve the matter, or he tries to solve the problem calmly, thinking of ways to submit the assignment in time. If he acts on the first option, he will not gain much out of it, but only have frustration and lack of solution to his problem. But when he is patient, he will solve the problem, and with peace of mind.

Patience saves relationships

Patience, when practiced mindfully for a longer time, can teach a person to be kind and empathetic towards others. A patient person will always try to understand the reason behind someone’s apparently odd and unpleasant behaviour. Oftentimes, their patience provides them to see the real reason and have a better understanding of the other person’s situation. It teaches them to be forgiving, which is a helpful quality in having better acquaintance with families and friends.

Impatience makes us lose our temper quite frequently. We hurt our loved ones through our impatience. If we can just be patient while someone is trying to explain their side of the story in a situation, we might be able to handle any situation a lot better than we do with our impatience.

For example, if a loved one is being unreasonable about something, it is not right to react right there at that moment. Our impulsive reaction to their behaviour will make the matter worse. It is best to take the long course of time, use patience and our persuasive skills to make them understand the fault in their actions or words. That way the relationship will not break. They will understand their wrongdoings in a less chaotic and more empathetic manner.

Achievement of goals

With patience comes consistency. It is essential for the achievement of our goals. Constant hard work without short-term rewards is required for this purpose. You will be rewarded in the form of successful achievement. It can only happen if a person works patiently towards it.

Success doesn’t come overnight. People looking for shortcuts to get somewhere often struggle later in life. People with patience work hard to achieve their goals on the basis of the necessary struggle.

For example, an employee is struggling at a new job. He has high hopes about his career, but he is not willing to put enough energy in it. He jumps from one job to another job in the hope of getting the desired one. If only he stays at one place, there is a great chance that the stability he is looking for will be achieved by him with great career development as well.

Hence patience is necessary to have a peaceful and successful life. Patience leads us to the best outcome, even in worst situations.

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 22nd, 2021