Posts

Living more slowly

 I was talking with a friend the other day about how I had read some books on patience with an Eastern philosophy behind them and he said, “I would not have realized that patience is hard for you, but sometimes people are a different way with those they know better.” Then I thought, you know, overall I think I am making some progress in being more patient. I’m not completely there yet, but the impatience is definitely more subtle these days. (Edit: I typed that, then had a very impatient afternoon.) One thing that is very helpful right now is that summer just finished. During summer I go with the flow a lot. Having a new baby, I am on leave so I have less stressors in my life and am enjoying a slower pace. This allows me more small moments to remember to stop and be fully present in the moment. Really pay attention to what a child (or your spouse) is telling you or showing you. Quiet all other thoughts that try to creep in. Usually those are worries, and we don’t need to worry, rig...
Post a Comment
Read more

Priorities

 I just read this article and it rings true! https://aleteia.org/2019/01/23/sometimes-impatience-isnt-just-a-lack-of-virtue/ I do need to grow in virtue too, but very often, my impatience does stem from having unrealistic expectations for how much I can do in a day. Also not ordering my priorities rightly. Something to consider!
Post a Comment
Read more

the sandwich

Yesterday, I brought a sandwich with me to work for lunch. Because I had a packed schedule, I had it in the car with me. I kept looking at it between sites, and by 10:30, I really wanted to eat it. I wasn’t super hungry, but I just wanted to eat it. Instead, I made the conscious decision to wait until 11:30. I was able to do it! Small victory! Of course, being Catholic, you can also offer this annoyance/small deprivation up for whatever intention is on your heart. I think practicing delayed gratification is a great piece of increasing patience. Too often I find myself wanting to do something right now, and getting annoyed if I can’t. Particularly with food, I find myself snacking a lot. So there we go, first practical patience exercise. Wait until a reasonable time to eat your lunch, even if it is tempting you. (Unless of course you are pregnant or have a medical condition.)
Post a Comment
Read more

Goal

I struggle with impatience. I think a lot of people do. I’m also Catholic, so I have to bring up my impatience pretty much every time I go to confession. Once, the priest gave me advice to the effect of, “Try to practice patience.” I’m not sure why no one had said this to me before, but it did help me realize that patience was something that could be improved. Unfortunately, I tend to have difficulty applying big ideas to the small details of everyday life. Books I have with read talk about general strategies that you apply to a variety of situations to practice patience. I have been thinking about the different facets of patience and I believe there are multiple reasons that a person may act impatiently. I’m going to try, on this blog, to give a real life examples of ways to practice patience. A little story about something I tried that worked, and maybe what facet of patience I think it might strengthen. We shall see how this goes!
Post a Comment
Read more