Winning At Life

After not one, but two 12-hour travel days this week, I want to talk about something imperative. Patience. Have you ever noticed that patience is the virtue we often talk about, but rarely practice? And let me tell you, it’s evident when you’re traveling. I mean I get it, in a world where instant gratification is the norm, it can be difficult to develop a patient mindset, especially in stressful situations like traveling. However, patience is a crucial skill we all need. It can lead to greater success and more importantly, greater happiness in all of life.

So what is patience? Well, at its core, patience is the ability to tolerate delay, frustration, or discomfort without becoming upset or angry. It involves taking a step back, assessing the situation, and waiting for the right moment to act (if at all). This can be really hard, especially when we’re faced with situations that seem completely overwhelming (like waiting in an unexpected line for 47 minutes to get through security when you’re already short on time on an otherwise slow Sunday morning). But, as the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait, right?

But why is patience so important? I believe one of the most important benefits of patience is that it allows us to make better decisions. When we’re patient, we’re able to think more clearly, and more objectively about a situation because we’re not driven by our emotions or impulses (ah-ha). We can respond rationally, which can lead to much better outcomes.

Patience also allows us to appreciate the journey, rather than just the destination (I can’t stop with the travel references today, haha). And this, my friend, is my favorite part of being patient. There’s so much value in the journey – so many experiences to be had. When we’re focused solely on the end-goal, we miss out on the small moments of joy and growth that happen along the way. By being patient, we can truly appreciate each step and have the opportunity to savor our experiences. This can lead to a greater sense of fulfillment, and, you guessed it, greater happiness.

Another benefit of patience is that it helps us build resilience. Life’s full of hard sh*t setbacks and challenges, and it’s easy to become discouraged or even give up when things don’t go as planned. However, when we’re patient, we’re able to weather the storms and bounce back stronger than ever. We learn to persevere and keep pushing forward, no-matter-what, and that’s huge.

Of course, cultivating patience is much easier said than done. It requires practice, and dedication, and lots of intention. Like any skill though, patience can be developed over time with some effort on our part.

Now let’s talk about how we can develop our patience. One way is to practice mindfulness. By focusing on the present moment and accepting things as they are (instead of what we want them to be), we can learn to tolerate delays or discomfort without becoming upset. It is what it is, am I right?

Another approach is to set realistic expectations and goals. Unrealistic expectations and goals can breed frustration, impatience, and disappointment. By aligning our expectations with reality, we create a foundation for patience (and far less disappointments).

It’s all too common to find ourselves angry and frustrated among life’s stressful situations (cue my traveling woes, haha). But fear not, my friend, there’s something we can do about it. By working on developing a patient mindset, we can make better decisions, build resilience, and cut down on the disappointment in our lives. Now that’s winning at life, isn’t it? So promise me that the next time you find yourself feeling frustrated or impatient about a situation you’re in, you’ll take a deep breath, step back, and remind yourself that good things come to those who wait. …And let’s just be patient.