Very often, we face a situation wherein we must make one of the following choices: Should I wait or should I act now? Usually, this decision crops up due to exigency or an immediate need. Depending on the urgency of the need, we have to act accordingly. We may choose to wait for something. We may choose to take prompt action. Notwithstanding our final decision (to act or to wait), though, we often feel the pressure to take a decision…some decision…one way or the other. This feeling of being rushed into decision-making affects our satisfaction levels for a number of reasons. It prevents us from being in the moment. It stops us from observing things unfolding at a natural temp. Most significantly, it hampers our flow with the environment.

Patience is a state of being. It’s a mindset that’s accepting of life on its terms and fully present with passion in each moment. A patient individual is one who experiences life as it flows naturally. He enjoys participating in every moment of life. At the same time, he’s detached from the outcome. This definition of patience may suggest that it is an undesirable quality because it detracts from results. This is far from true.

No outcome of any activity – be it starting a venture, registering with a dating service etc. – is ever in our control. That being said, we can be in control of the process by controlling our energy. When our thoughts and feelings stay positive, we emit positivity and attract others in our energy field. In turn, they radiate love and enrich their world. Even if the outcome were undesirable, we’d be satisfied because we had detached from it. However, to sustain the flow of positive energy, the initiator – oneself – must be fully present in every moment. To attain this state of being, he must accord greater importance to enjoying time than to spend it. This would ensure that his core resource – energy – is utilised more productively and that the outcome is further enriched. Therefore, it’s likelier that the patient person would achieve a more favourable outcome than an impatient individual. Outcomes aside though, does the patient person act more slowly than the impatient one?

Patience doesn’t necessarily encapsulate a longer wait time. Because patience is a mindset of accepting and enjoying life – a patient person won’t act unless he’s immersed in every nuance and detail of the activity. This could happen instantaneously. Or, it could take a long time. Notwithstanding the time to act, the patient person lives and breathes every moment of the process so deeply that he can feel the energy tingling his veins. He’s so attuned to the energy of others in his environment that he’s constantly energising them and making his surroundings more positive. Hence, he appeals to others. On the contrary, the impatient person is more focused on the outcome of the activity. He’s driven by his need to complete it and sees the process as a means to the end – a process he could skip if possible. Consequently, he’s less concerned about the details of his actions; let alone enjoy every moment of time. Could he energise the environment as effectively as the patient person can? Obviously not.

As a human value, patience polarises society. For many people, it is a compelling virtue. For others, it’s an undesirable quality that’s associated with stagnation. The conflicting views stem from the notion that patience is an internal quality driving action. People believe that by analysing the outcome of the action, the positives and negatives of the underlying trait can be properly assessed. On this basis, it often appears that patient people take too long to act and achieve sub-optimal results in comparison to inpatient folk. This hypothesis breaks down when we define patience as a state of being. According to this approach, a patient approach to life leads one to be present at the moment and to engender a balanced set of thoughts and feelings. In turn, this inner positivity spurs a series of actions that create a chain of positive energy. Patience, therefore, yields more multi-faceted benefits than just the outcome. This is why it helps to cultivate a patient mindset.