Patience is something I would like to have if I don’t have to wait for it. I like Google’s definition: “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” So if I have the patience to accept a delay and to wait through trouble for things to get better, that’s a good thing. Right?
One of the perks of patience is the replacing of stress with calm. All the stress may not leave at once. Complete calm may not be evident instantaneously. Accepting that which I cannot control is a key to stress relief. And stress relief is one of the perks of patience that is mentally and emotionally healthy for me.
One other perk of patience for me is the opportunity to learn something new and helpful about living. A friend who is a landlord says he does not get bent out of shape when something does not go his way. If a tenant will not pay the rent on time, my friend says that rather than get upset, “I learn.”
Remaining calm allows my mind to focus and gather helpful information. With calm and information, I can learn. That’s far better than stirring my emotional arthritis with a knee-jerk reaction.
Two perks of patience–calm and learning.
Words and People 