do good things come to those who wait?

I'll keep this as light as possible. Patience is a broad topic and there are many ways to focus in on it. Throughout this post we'll be reminding ourselves of why patience is important. So let's talk about that and listen to Frank Ocean's 'Self-Control'.
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The reason why I chose to talk about patience today is because with quarantine/the MCO, we're all challenged to fit ourselves into a lifestyle we might not prefer. Not everybody wants to go through this but we have to and so in a way, it is testing our patience. Also, it's Ramadhan. Doing the right thing is not always easy, which is what happens your patience is tested.

Ok, reflection time! Get your pillows, tea, plants, insurance, whatever eases you.

what is patience?

​Patience is your capacity to tolerate something without reacting to it with complaints or being upset/angry. Despite something unfavourable happening, you face it calmly and with a good attitude. It can also be seen as delaying immediate satisfaction for a bigger reward in the future making the wait worth it.
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knock knock, it's patience

Patience is generally associated with waiting –lots of waiting and the restraint to complain. Some examples of moments where you might feel like you are telling yourself to be patient are:

• biting your tongue when someone says something insulting, because you will defend yourself but you will not stoop as low by insulting back (even though... you reaaaally want to give them a taste of their own medicine!)
• delaying your satisfying treat to later in the day after you've cleared all your chores
• when someone repeatedly makes the same mistake
• explaining something to someone but they still don't get it
• working on your goals and feeling like you're not quite there
• letting a video load but the connection is slow

• waiting for iftar and your stomach is a whale belting opera. 

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In all these moments, you might have the urge to act out on frustration. You might even say or do something you'll regret and this is when your patience is being tested.
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patience, give me strength

Patience is a strength because it requires self-control. For example, when someone is in line to pay for groceries but it's going slowly, throwing a tantrum isn't going to make it go any faster. I'm not saying we're all about to throw tantrums every time there's a long grocery line, but we all have acted out over something and lost our patience. Right? 

The world does not revolve around you. Accept that things can go wrong and some things don't work out the way you think it will. You cannot control what other people think or do, but you can control yourself. There's a way to deal with things when you are upset and still remain patient and this is a learning process for us when we don't know how to start. Give things time and remind yourself to not be rash and react based on your emotions. It's not easy to hold your tongue or stay calm when the situation has reached the peak of your tolerance, but this is where it counts! That moment is when you can build your character by dealing with the situation with patience.

This is all easier said than done, I know. It's all down to you to get something going. The best I can do is write a lengthy blog post about it in hope that you'll read it and go "hey, I needed this reminder."

patience, heal me

I learned that my patience varies according to the situation. I'm very patient when problem-solving and helping others, but I'm not always patient with myself. I'm quite hard on myself tbh so I've been working on that.

​I think one of the reasons why patience is an important part of healing is because a) you're building character, b) you're allowing yourself to simply be. You don't spend time stressing about the speed of your growth. Your attention is on being consistent in good habits that help you heal no matter how long it takes. When you're trying to drop a bad habit, learn a new skill, simply change, it requires a lot of patience because nothing happens overnight. 

stop calling out patience like it's an exam

Yo for real though, patience is like a test you can't ace all the time but you'll have to sit through and fail again and again until you understand yourself enough to know what you need to work on.

​​​Patience can be practised. If you feel like you want to work on your patience, consider this a sign. Go for it! Just like your muscles gaining strength, you have to keep exercising it. Being in control of yourself is a powerful and admirable quality because I feel like it shows how aware you are of yourself and your actions. It helps you be considerate of how you treat others and you see the bigger picture –knowing when to let something go.

It trains you to work under pressure. To shift your perspective. To wait. To trust.
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in patience we trust

Having great patience can help you achieve your goals. When you're patient, you accept that there are things you can't control, setting aside unnecessary frustrations that can lead to a downward spiral.

Being patient with yourself is coming to accept who you are as a person and being okay to work on yourself to get where you want no matter how long it takes. 

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So to give my answer to the question in the header... Good things don't come to those who just wait. Good things come to those who are consistent with their progress. ​You are waiting but you will not be passive!

You got this buddy.

​'Til then! eliorkid♡