The Virtue of Patience
The other day a friend of mine who has just welcomed his first child into the world asked me over a celebratory glass of bubbly for my best piece of advice to a new father, eager to ensure his son grows up to be positive, happy and successful. Well, that was quite some question and one that I needed time to consider. In the end I plumped for, “Be patient”.
For me patience is a virtue that has never been more important than right now because of the heightened pressures caused by super-fast technology and instantaneous social media. Patience is not an easy state to maintain in an age when comparison to others is a feature of almost every magazine and TV programme where the perfect looks and quick-fire success are seemingly easy to achieve. True success only comes to those who work hard and to sustain one’s commitment when the task becomes tough requires patience.
As parents we are often in a hurry for our children to succeed and we get anxious if we see others forging ahead. It is easy to project these concerns on to our children suggesting that they are not working hard enough but this is likely to result in resentment and a loss of trust, with the child’s self-belief diminishing behind a fear of being deemed ‘not good enough’. Children have a natural learning arc which can be damaged with too much pressure. If patience is applied however, trust builds, pressure can be placed at the right times, talent turns to achievement and positive attitudes are acquired. Patience also helps us all to be more tolerant, empathetic and mentally strong, enabling us to suspend judgement long enough to make informed decisions and thus paving the way towards a happy and successful life.