Developing Patience is
a Valuable Stress Reducer

Developing patience is a fine art. It can take some time to perfect.

An Ayurvedic physician once gave me a clue how to do it. He said, "Pretend you're an elephant, and move slowly". There is a certain power that comes from the patience of moving methodically and carefully like an elephant. When a elephant moves deliberately, almost nothing can stop it.

It sounded strange at the time but his advice really helped me learn to:
Take a few deep breaths...Slow down......Stop rushing.....Appreciate life as it unfolds.

These are all things I still have to tell myself repeatedly, but they really help me to develop patience.

Patience Is a Good Strategy for Success

Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? They had a race. The hare sprinted ahead. The tortoise moved slowly and systematically. He was patient, disciplined and methodical. The hare tired himself out and never finished the race. The tortoise won the race.

Rushing doesn't necessarily help us get to our goal any faster. Rushing can lead to making mistakes. This ends up taking more time which can actually hinder us and slow us down.

There is an old Chinese proverb: "One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life."

Developing Patience Helps
Avoid Unnecessary Stress

• Rushing and impatience are stressful.
• Rushing gets our adrenaline and other stress hormones going full steam ahead. It puts us into "fight or flight" mode.
• Rushing seems to wear us out and age us prematurely.
• Rushing also tends to increase the stress and tension in our relationships. It can build up resentments and lack of cooperation which actually make our life more difficult.

What Is The Solution?

Pause........Even for a moment........Take a few deep breaths..... Appreciate life as it unfolds

• Realize that usually situations are not so urgent. Even when you slow down, or pause, life continues.


• Recognize that sometimes you simply can’t make yourself move faster.


• Accept that you cannot force someone else to move faster.


• You can not force things or people to be the way you want them to be. It doesn’t work.


• Accept and appreciate life as it unfolds, without needing to control it.


• Use humorous stress relief, for handling life's challenging unexpected events.

Sometimes I find myself rushing due to the belief that something must happen in a certain way, by a certain time. It helps to remind myself....

There is more than one good way for things to work out. Sometimes life holds delightful surprises for us when we allow that possibility.

In addition to being a fine art, developing patience is also a virtue. When we are patient, we can allow life and growth to unfold naturally.

With these suggestions you can reduce the stress and turmoil in you life, and increase your experience of joy and peace.
Which would you rather?

So remember, breathe deeply...
and move slowly... like an elephant
or a tortoise

Developing patience is a worthwhile endeavor.

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