The virtue of PATIENCE
Do you often feel there’s simply not enough time to do everything you need to and want to in your life? Have you noticed that the pace of your life is faster than it used to be? Do you struggle to wait, without picking up your phone or looking for a distraction?
If you do, you aren’t alone. The more I speak with people, the more I hear how much they are struggling to manage the internal and external pressure to keep up, stay ahead, move quickly and achieve more in their careers and life. Patience is down and stress and overwhelm are up.
We have been sold the idea that fast is best and that time needs to be “hacked” and our lives “fast-tracked”. Advances in technology have removed the need to wait in so many areas of our lives; we now have instant downloads, same-day deliveries, text messaging and online grocery shopping. In seeking to save time, however, we have, in fact, sped up the pace of life.
This shift in pace has been accompanied by a shift in expectations. We don’t just expect fast from others, we also expect it from ourselves. In her book , Stephanie Brown writes,
