AJ’s advice – patience
| May 20, 2012 | Posted by Alaa Jasim under AJ's Advice |
We have all had those days where we hate the world and everything in it, and nothing seems to move fast enough. There are always times when you just want to get something over with so you can just go home and do something more fun. Not nearly enough of us (often, myself included) are patient enough, and a lot of us can be short-tempered and perhaps a little irritable. Being patient – becoming patient – can be pretty important in a world full of people that need help, or that are just generally irritating. Maybe it’s watching that damn painting dry, or waiting for results: patience is a life skill and a virtue, and we could all stand to be a little more patient. Here are my top tips on patience.
Do something else while you wait
If you’re one of those people that hates waiting for things, do something unrelated while you wait. Often, while I’m waiting for paint to dry, I go do some writing, or put together a garden bench on a whim. If you distract yourself from waiting by doing something else, you’re not thinking about what you’re waiting for, so the time will go by quicker. Also, by doing something else while you wait, you’ll end up being productive and will have less work to do in the long run.
Don’t get angry
Being patient means that you need to stay calm. My father is one of those people that can get pretty irritated at the car in front when he’s driving. What he doesn’t realise is that being irritated and angry isn’t going to help the situation at all. In fact, in that sort of situation, there isn’t much you can do but wait. Being angry will just increase your blood pressure, which isn’t good for you – and let’s face it, you’ll just become a more unpleasant person.
Follow instructions
Whether you’re following a recipe or using resin for texture in a painting, make sure to wait the right amount of time to see how it looks before you try to “fix” it. Don’t fix it if it’s not broken, right? Or at least, don’t fix it before you’ve seen that it’s broken. If you’re doing something with instructions, they’re there for a reason, so you might as well follow them. What harm could that do? Give things a chance to work before you decide that they don’t.
It’s probably worth the wait
If you’re waiting for something, if you’re being patient, then it’s probably worth the wait. Maybe remind yourself why you’re waiting for whatever it is you’re waiting for. Your patience will pay off in the end. If that doesn’t work, try to distract yourself again.
That’s all from me for this week – feel free to get in touch. Questions, comments and suggestions are as always welcome, and I’ll see you next time!
