I’m on a business trip and my room is on the 3rd floor.  Third floor!  That means that the elevator ride is short.  Yet, I get in the elevator and I age 10 years in the amount of time it takes to get to the 3rd floor.  What’s my problem?  (In reality, it was only about 2 minutes).  Yet, I find it to be so outrageously slow that I begin to take the stairs each time I leave and then race myself to see how long it actually takes me to use the stairs.

I’ve got a lack of patience lately.  Sure, I’m tired and desperately need a vacation (stay tuned for a cool vacation announcement!), but that is no excuse for this behavior.  Not only am I fed up with the elevator, but I’ve been super frustrated with the lines at the grocery store, how long it takes to pump my gas and how many times I have to ask my kids what they want for breakfast, with no response.

Mother Teresa said, “Without patience, we will learn less in life. We will see less. We will feel less. We will hear less. Ironically, rush and more usually mean less.”

Life’s challenges require that we practice patience.  But the speed of life of our lives wears our patience thin. Patience helps us be more loving, more attentive and to reach those places that we want to reach.  It’s really a choice.  It’s having the right attitude that gives us the patience we need to see more, not less.  I’ve got to work on this one.

I’m going to strengthen my patience muscle by counting to 10 when I feel frustration creep in.  I’m going to take three deep breaths before I let something come out of my mouth when I’m feeling edgy.  I’m going to work at not getting frustrated when little things don’t go my way.  And, when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I’m going to focus on what I’ve accomplished, not on what remains to be done.

Look, I can pawn a lot off on menopause, but I think this one I’m going to have to take full non-hormonal responsibility for.  Or, maybe you can loan me some of your patience (or do our laundry … something I will never develop patience for!).

Have a very calm weekend! 🙂