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Patience Day 29 -Patience Is A Choice

Patience Is A Choice!
In yesterday’s blog post, I talked to you about how patience isn’t an inherent quality you’re born with. It isn’t something you either have or don’t have. Patience is a skill that must be practiced and learned in order to be improved upon. The underlying point of this newfound knowledge is that becoming a more patient person will require a great deal of effort and work on your part. We’ve learned a lot of strategies in our journey together. You now have the tools to use to become a more patient person. You must first realize and believe that patience is a choice.
You Decide
You get to decide that you can increase your patience levels. First you must decide that you want to and that the effort is worth it. To help you in this endeavor, make a list. Write down the reasons why you wish to become more patience. Find patterns of where your life is being disrupted by your lack of patience. Knowing your “why” and your motivation to change will help you to become more committed to seeing it through.
What Do You Value?
Keep your list out because, you’re going to add to it. Take some notes about what it is you value with relation to patience. How would being seen as a patient person by others make a difference in your life? What are the values and benefits behind the things you wrote down in your first list? For instance, you may have said that you want to be a better parent by being more patient with your children. Expand on that to determine what is you value about being seen as a better parent and feeling like an accomplished parent. These answers could include the respect and love of your children, with less fear. They might also include a feeling of self-love and acceptance that would come when you feel confident in your ability to parent more patiently. Take notes and explore these values.
Make the Change
The insight you gain from these lists should be powerful information that serves as a catalyst for change. It is my hope and belief that you’ll feel more motivated, inspired and excited toward becoming a more patient person. You now have the tools and the desire to make change. You understand that the power rests within you and nobody else to become the kind of patient individual you wish to be. You’ve taken responsibility for your level of patience. In addition, you’re now armed and ready to do what it takes to become the person you wish to be in this regard.
It’s pretty empowering to realize that patience is a choice, isn’t it? I hope you’re ready to move forward with this knowledge and attitude to bring patience into your life.
Patience Day 27 -Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
Many of us find that we may be set in our ways. Rather than pursue a change we might desire, we stay stuck where we are. The reason behind this is that what we know, our current situation is usually more comfortable than the unknown. Facing the discomfort of pursuing something we don’t have control over can feel like just too much. The motives behind human behavior frequently lie in either the pursuit of what feels good or the avoidance of what doesn’t. Far too often, it’s the avoidance of pain or discomfort that wins out. Once you learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, you’ll find that more opportunities will open up to you. Let’s examine this concept.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is a concept that very much relates to the ability to handle discomfort, so I’d like to introduce it here. It’s sort of like IQ, but this emotional IQ or EIQ focuses on the ability to regulate one’s emotions in a healthy manner. People with high emotional intelligence are able to handle uncertainty, react to distressing situations calmly and navigate the ups and downs of life on a generally even keel. If you struggle with emotional intelligence, you’re more apt to be reactive or explosive in nature, falling prey to the desire to minimize any discomfort immediately.
Avoiding Discomfort
The need to avoid discomfort is strong. It’s more powerful in some people than in others. If you tend to succumb to doing anything to avoid feeling bad, it’s likely this need has led you to make some unhealthy or negative choices. The feeling of discomfort doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It could be a warning sign that something needs to change and that you should take a particular action. The problem lies in the inability to sit with the feeling long enough to make a correct determination. Many of us simply react and give in to the negativity. We do whatever it takes to push away the feeling of discomfort.
Getting Comfortable with Discomfort
So, clearly, the trick lies in learning to accept being uncomfortable, at least long enough to come to a healthy conclusion about how to get rid of the feeling. There are some ways you can teach yourself to tolerate being uncomfortable. It does get easier with practice.
One way to begin your practice is to start with something that isn’t all that difficult for you. A small challenge is just the way to get a feeling for what it’s like to hold onto discomfort for a while and to show yourself you can move past it. For example, if you’ve been wanting to eat healthier, but can’t stand the taste of things like veggies and water, try to add one or two new healthful items to your menu each day. You’ll find you can overcome this far more easily than if you tried to overhaul your entire approach to eating. Add different tasks as you get comfortable with one, and you’ll find the process becomes less of a burden.
Also, pay attention to your emotions when you start to feel the discomfort. Take note of the sensations within your body and the thoughts racing through your mind. Knowing these triggers will help you to conquer them as you continue your practice.
Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is a process that will take time and practice. It’s an essential step in the journey toward becoming a more patient person, and I think you’ll find it to be well worth your effort.
Patience Day 25 -Selah Moments!- Rest Day

Think on These Things!
Today is a day of rest for you. There aren’t any blog posts to read or audios to listen to. Today I want to encourage you to have what I call “Selah” Moments. At different times throughout your day, find time to think on the things you have learned throughout this challenge.
Be sure to write down in your journal what you have learned about patience, any strategies you start using in your life now, and things you have discovered about yourself.
Okay, well that’s it for today.
Selah!!!