Patience is a Virtue

These days we have everything at our finger tips. Our society thrives off of instant gratification. (I know I absolutely do!) Our smartphones are right in our pockets with knowledge and access to a global community with opportunities only a click away. And now waiting has become difficult.

Mother always said, patience is a virtue!

Dictionary.com has a great definition for patience - quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence. These are all great words to consider when you are reaching for a bigger dream. Sometimes it takes time and you need to be patient, you need to trust that it will work out. That’s not always easy! I have struggled with patience for a few dreams of my own.

So how do YOU get through it? 

1. Daily or weekly reminders of the bigger picture. Remind yourself of why you are reaching your dream; what is it that gets your blood pumping with excitement? With intensity? With ferocity? 
2. Distract yourself from rolling it over in your head a million times. Stop thinking so much about how eager you are to catch that dream. Find fun and challenging activities to consume your days. Don’t waste your precise life by waiting for your next dream. Go out and do something!
3. Meditate, as cliché as it sounds. You don’t have to be a holistic pro, just take a few minutes out of your day to sit, close your eyes, and take a few deep breathes and feel the muscles in your body. This allows you to keep calm and focus on the moment. (Instead of when you’ll reach that dream).

These might work, but maybe you’re thinking ‘no way in hell will these vague tips work for me”. Well here are a few more ideas to really get your mind to be more patient:

Get in the longest line at the grocery store

Watch the 1996 film, Hamlet (242 mins)

Suck on a never ending gobstopper

Take a drive during rush hour

Watch still water turn to a rolling boil 

Listen to Jethro Tull "Thick as a Brick" (43:54)

How do you practice patience? It’s a difficult concept so every tip and advice is sure to help! 

The Voice In Our Heads

You know that voice in your head that interrupts your dreams and goals. It’s the voice that reminds you that your idea is stupid or that you couldn’t possibly reach it. Well I hear it ALL the time! I call it my Mean Girl – she’s always tearing me down for NO reason. It’s so hard to quiet this voice or to not listen. You start to believe what its saying and become discouraged. You start to feel worthless and incapable of reaching your goals so you stop dreaming.

Never stop reaching for the stars!

Feeling incapable and inadequate is unfair; there is no reason why you can’t reach a specific goal. There will always be a way so NEVER stop believing! There are a few tricks that I use to shut down the voice and remind myself that I CAN DO IT.

Why Not? Listen to what your voice is saying and ask why not; figure out what is holding you back. Usually what’s holding you back is not genuine, it’s something that you can easily fix or solve. Or it’s a little bit of fear getting in the way. Just take a moment to come up with a plan to find the courage and eliminate the obstacle.

Who Says? You can also ask yourself who says; figure out who told you you can’t reach that goal. Most likely you’ll come up with yourself, the media, or maybe even a friend. If it’s you, that’s just fear talking again (find that courage!). If it’s the media, remember that those ads and everything else are marketing; they trick you into feeling a certain way so you will believe them and buy their product. Nothing is real in the media, it’s all exaggeration! And finally, if it’s a friend, go talk to them. Find out if it’s coming from a good, caring place or maybe a place of jealousy. Talk it out! 

Just remember, it’s your dream and nothing but your heart and soul matters!

I know I’m not the only one with this voice in my head. What does your voice say? What do you do to keep it from sharing it's opinions? Comment below!