THE A-Z OF POSITIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS - P IS FOR PATIENT

The A-Z of Positive Personality Traits - P is for Patient

P IS FOR BEING PATIENT

Next letter up for the A-Z challenge of Positive Personality Traits is P - and P is for Patient. My mother used to always tell me that "patience is a virtue" and I must admit to not being particularly strong in this personality trait. I am a work in progress when it comes to being 

Quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry

(to quote James 1:19).

I tend to leap into making judgments way too quickly - I am working on the idea
of giving people the benefit of the doubt and not assuming the worst - but that is still in progress too! There are so many people who make sweeping statements or who are negative Nellies and I just want to tell them to pipe down or walk away. Not a great example of patience in practice!

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE INDEED

I also spent several weeks looking after my mother at the end of last year when she had a knee replacement operation and the post I wrote about that was learning to have the patience of a Saint. Some people are so good with the sick and convalescing, I'm not one of them. I know it is a flaw and those weeks with my mum gave me time to do a bit of work on that aspect of my character. I certainly managed to care for her without driving either of us to drink, so it was a good experience by the time she went home.

The A-Z of Positive Personality Traits - P is for Patient

WISHING FOR THAT ELUSIVE PATIENCE

Patient people have a serenity about them, they don't seem to get flustered or in a bother. The small annoyances of life don't get them down, they just sail through on a calm lake and the irritants wash over them. I want to be one of those people - I want to be able to float through the turmoil of life with a gentle smile and a good word for everyone I meet. It's going to take a little more time before I can lay claim to that scenario, but I'm working on it.

It's easy to say "I wish I was more patient" - but following through is where the rubber hits the road. Practicing the pause where you stop for a moment before reacting or speaking is the simplest place to start. Giving yourself a moment to process the situation before reacting can often defuse things and save a lot of judgement and upset. I'm finding that Midlife is a time where I'm getting better at giving other people the benefit of the doubt - taking a deep breath and moving on without losing my cool. It's a much gentler way to live.

LIVING IN A BETTER WORLD

If the world was full of more patient people who weren't leaping to conclusions or being irritated by others, it would be a much nicer place. Thinking before we speak, taking a moment to look at the situation through the eyes of the other person, showing some compassion and empathy, and being generally more considerate are all ways to become a more patient person...... it's been my goal for a while now and I hope it's yours too.


See you next time for the continuation of Positive Personality Traits - Q is for Quirky.

This post is part of the April #atozchallenge.



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21 comments

  1. Definitely a much wanted virtue. I sometimes pray for patience. (especially with my kids :O) and when put into a challenging situation it suddenly dawns on me that maybe my prayer is being answered and now is when I should try to practise that patience I was asking for!!
    Lovely post.
    Taking care of the old and sick and of kids is a great way to practise patience.
    Cheers,
    Seena

    #AtoZChallenge- P is for Photo-op

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    1. I know what it's like trying to keep your patience when your kids are driving you a little bit crazy Seena! It's all good training for when we have to turn around and look after our parents instead.....maybe one day I'll be trying my children's patience instead :)

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  2. Patience .. patience .. patience .. it is the key to life... :)


    http://serendipityofdreams.blogspot.in/2016/04/patterns-in-vision.html

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    1. Ahhhh some of your famous poetry coming out there Deepti :)

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  3. I need to work on my patience Leanne. I get excited about something and then off I go sometimes before thinking it through. patience certainly is a virtue.

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    1. I'm the same Sue - I'm getting better at considering things but I still tend to leap in and then wonder what on earth I was thinking to get myself into such a pickle!

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  4. I'd like to think I've matured a bit with age, and with maturity comes patience. However, I know I am still lacking in this area, especially with regards to myself. I want to learn faster, be more efficient, do it right the first time. I'm trying to learn to enjoy the process. Easier said than done, I fear.

    Molly @MyCozyBookNook
    My Cozy Book Nook
    Revising Life after 50

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    1. I know the feeling Molly - where you want to reach the destination without all the rigmarole that you have to go through to get there. I'm definitely improving but it's a slow process indeed :)

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  5. I'm also a work in progress on this one :) although think I have enough patience until some point...

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    1. I think we all have our tipping points Zeljka - I'm just hoping mine take longer to reach as I get older. :)

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    2. I think it's the opposite with me :D

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  6. So nicely said Leanne. It is indeed the biggest virtue. Not to be provoked easily can always be a boon. Taking care of ageing parents needs lots of patience and it is good that it turned out as a learning period for you. Many don't get the opportunity. Thanks for sharing.
    @authorparomita you can read mine
    https://rollingstonepictureproduction.wordpress.com/2016/04/19/panjiri-grow-up-messy/

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    1. Hi Paromita - I agree that it was a blessing being able to care for my mum and she says how much she appreciates it and what a difference it made to her recovery - so I guess patience is a virtue :)

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  7. I used to pray for patience. But then the good Lord would send opportunities to learn some. Yeah. I don't pray for that any more! I was the world's most impatient person and I have come a long way. But there is still a long way to go. eg. I still drink slightly tepid water so I don't have to slow down to sip. :)

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    1. I'm learning not to pray for things that might be a bit hard for me to swallow (enough of those come along without praying for them) - sometimes I think God has a bit of a sense of humour when it comes to answering our not-too-well-thought-out prayers :)

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  8. This is one virtue that I am sadly not blessed with! You've put it so beautifully Leanne, I am actually feeling quite ashamed of myself! You are especially right about needing this virtue to deal with our elders. God grant us all the patience we need to be good to our dear ones! Thanks for your lovely words.
    @KalaRavi16 from
    Relax-N-Rave

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    1. I couldn't agree more Kala - I think dealing with your parents often takes more patience than dealing with children ever did - you have to show them respect at the same time and that can be tricky!

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  9. Very relieved - finally found a positive personality trait that I actually do have a reasonable amount of! I'm not so bad on patience (though I suspect I'm not currently quite as good as I used to be before I spent every day with two toddlers!), and I'm certainly not quick tempered. What has always made me sad is that I think patience, and being even tempered too, are quite underrated. I tend to find that a lot of people who don't have those traits actually tend to look down on the people who do, seeing it as a sign of weakness. I think that's a shame, as it is not weak - as you say, it is a positive trait.

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    1. I think patience and even-temperedness are absolutely amazing traits. To be able to let the little frustrations flow over us - especially when dealing with young children, is an blessing to the family and a way of keeping everything in perspective. I bet every child in the world would love to have a patient, even-tempered parent :)

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  10. I hope I display a certain amount of patience. I work in a really busy environment where I'm one of the more senior team members, so I get asked a lot of questions. I try and remember that the person asking doesn't know that five other people have asked the same thing. It's hard though, especially when time is short and everyone just wanted to achieve things. We can all do with having a bit more patience with each other though.

    Sally @ Life Loving
    #LifeLovingLinkie

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  11. Patience isn't my strong suit either, but I find with age comes serenity. I am able to shrug more things off and let them go. This is especially important when dealing with the elderly because most of us will likely be in similar circumstances one day.

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