After years of having a hard time seeing the value in having patience, I am now well aware of what a treasure such a virtue is.  Think about it in reverse for a second. How would you describe an impatient person? A few things come to mind: feeling overwhelmed, rushed, unappreciative, dissatisfied, lacking motivation or perseverance, quick to anger and premature in ending something before it’s had time to blossom and bear its fruit.

So in order to persuade and motivate us all to welcome even more patience into our lives, I’ve listed five benefits below of acquiring it. Because ultimately, the initial goal in wanting something is to attain what we think we don’t already have, but ironically, by slowing down we come to realize how rich we are and that we already have what we seek in our grasp.

Gain Clarity

When we slow down and decide not to rush, things and people are allowed to move at their natural pace.  We begin to see things as they are and in doing so, are able to see the grand picture and gain much more perspective because we aren’t quickly speeding by.  Those opportunities that might have been missed had we been whizzing by, are now much easier to see. And how much time are we really saving if we have to go back and correct mistakes due to our inability to make the best decision at the time?

Anticipatory Pleasure

I find that in setting a goal or in looking forward to something that is planned in the future, the anticipation is just as pleasurable as the actual event itself. The journey preceding the event is something that shouldn’t be erased or condensed.  It is all right to require children (or adult children) to wait until Christmas Eve or morning to open presents, it’s quite exciting really to make plans a month or two, maybe six months in advance, and anxiously await what will occur all the while planning and prepping.  And who doesn’t love the prepping? Planning for the wedding, getting read for a first date, shopping for the getaway vacation you’ve planned for over a year – these aspects are part of the fun and the memories you will never forget – don’t rush them. The journey truly is part of the joy, so why not savor it?

Learn A Lesson

Whenever a challenge in life has knocked us backward or caught us by surprise, the immediate reaction is a feeling of failure, a loss of faith or a dip in our self-confidence, but by allowing some time to take place, letting time heal our bruises, the lessons of such experiences soon come to light. So the next time, you hear “no” when you were sure you’d hear “yes”, give yourself time and before long, you’ll come to quickly realize the opportunity for growth you were presented with.

Discover The Truth

When we require ourselves to wait until some time has passed before making a final decision, we allow the truth to present itself. The funny thing about the truth is that it’s always there, it’s just a matter of our ability to see it, and sometimes when we rush, we skip over important information that would have changed our minds entirely.  Signing that contract, going out on that date, spending half our paycheck. When we allow ourselves time to mull it over, sleep on it if you will, usually the answer that will sit well with us and our conscious for a long time to come will emerge.

Achieve Contentment

So often upon achieving something, we leave little or no time to savor it and are immediately rushing on to the next goal or thing to acquire. By slowing down and having patience we allow ourselves to truly appreciate what we’ve accomplish and not take it for granted when it occurs, thereby, allowing the awareness of being content and satisfied be a feeling that we are submerged in and wouldn’t want to quickly toss away.

All in all, patience is something that calms things down, allows life to take a breath. Instead of constantly seeking what’s in the future, why not savor the present moment we are fortunate enough to be in right now?  Because after all, true contentment is the simple state of having peace of mind and peace of mind comes with quieting our lives and quickening its pace.

“He that can have patience, can have what he will.” –Benjamin Franklin

Image: TSLL’s Instagram (@thesimplyluxuriouslife)