Patience

Patience

Starting Patiently

Patience: a virtuous quality characterized by calm endurance when dealing with difficult circumstances; perseverance when facing provocation or delay; not reacting negatively to annoyance or anger; forbearance when under stress, particularly that which is long- term; steadfastness when faced with difficulties; bearing misfortune or pain without loss of temper.
     —Various Sources

What is there about the quality of patience that causes so many of us to respond to the very word with a sense of deficiency? “I don’t have enough, I need more,” we say, putting it in the rarefied domain occupied by such phenomena as time and money. No matter how much money people have, they seem to feel they need more and, indeed, in diffi cult economic times, many truly do need more. As to time, in any given day we all get exactly the same amount. There’s not much point in pleading for more because in each hour the clock offers only the allotted number of minutes and seconds agreed upon by our ancient ancestors. Grudgingly, it ticks with a relentless, unyielding persistence that alters not for even the most saintly or Buddha- like among us. The accepted measurement of time allocates twenty- four hours for each day, and for now and the foreseeable future, that is it. Unable to convince the clock of the joys of generosity that could be experienced by its offering just a bit more of its precious commodity, we alter our approach and try to squeeze just one more project into the day’s already bloated schedule.
The wonderful thing about patience, unlike time, is the more we use it, the more we have. Also, by its nature, patience creates a spaciousness that lets us feel as if we have more time than we have ever had. Thus, patience can alter our everyday experience from one of anxiety and deficiency to one of peace and plentitude.
There are certain psychological advantages to residing within the same body for a lengthy period of time, say seventy years or so. For instance, when life’s ever- changing nature presents itself in a particularly unpleasant form, it helps to know that we have been through it before, or something similar, and things have worked out. They may not have worked out exactly as we would have liked; nevertheless, they have worked out. We got drenched but the storm passed. There is something comforting about familiarity, even with that which is unpleasant. Familiarity can be a great ally in the development of patience.
By contrast, one doesn’t tend to encounter many physical perks as the bodily structure ages. That is, unless you enjoy more frequent visits to doctors (who seem to be getting younger) as you experience various organs, muscles, neurons, and tendons beginning to show signs of extended use.

From PATIENCE by Allan Lokos. Published by arrangement with Tarcher, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc. Copyright (c) Allan Lokos, 2012.