Affirmation: “I am patient with myself.”
Journal Prompt:
Where has “being patient” shown up in my life?
Self-Care Ritual:
If someone asked you to describe yourself, is “patient” a word you’d use?
Let’s be honest here… it’s not likely you would.
We’re usually pretty good at showing patience to others, but it tends to run thin when dealing with what comes up in our own lives . I know for sure, it’s not something I’ve always been able to say about myself.
Patience isn’t something we’re born with.
In fact, a newborn baby is anything but patient; they’re actually the exact opposite! They’re completely helpless at birth, in need of another human to do everything for them. And they’re unable to communicate in any other way, except to be impatient. It’s only as a child matures, as they grow and learn, that patience becomes part of their regular behavior. And how they learn patience… the context in which they learn it… can have drastic effects on the trajectory of their life.
How YOU learned it, and in what context, effects everything about your life today!
A patient parent is tolerant, and enduring in nature.
A patient parent uses a child’s mistakes and errors as an opportunity to help the child learn, so the same mistake can be avoided in the future.
A patient parent has an attitude of gentle support, and caring guidance, that improves their child’s learning and self-esteem.
If a child grows up with an impatient parent though, it’s likely they learn blaming when they make a mistake. And then they learn to be fearful of making more mistakes, creating impatience and intolerance in themselves, and setting the stage for perfectionism, or even deep despair.
As adults, when we’re impatient with ourselves, we create stress. When we continue in that pattern, we create a life full of anxiety. Our body becomes flooded with extra cortisol and adrenaline, contributing to physical health issues, including sleep problems, and even mental health concerns.
When we learn to be patient with ourselves, we begin to manifest peace, inside and out. A patient attitude creates greater self-worth, deeper self-love, and strengthens our inner stability. It’s absolutely vital to cultivate a patient attitude, as we never outgrow the need for gentle, supportive guidance, especially from ourselves.
And we CAN learn to be more patient! That’s why today’s self-care ritual is suggestions for doing just that.
One great way, has been part of this challenge from the start… journal about being impatient. Do your best to be non-judgmental, but be honest about where you see impatience in your life. Knowledge is power, so the more you become aware of the harsh, relentless inner voice that creates your impatience, the easier it will be to silence it.
Rumi said, “The art of knowing, is knowing what to ignore.” When your inner Helga starts spewing her harsh, intolerant opinions, it is important to listen. That’s how you’ll begin to know what the real issues are. With that knowledge, you can take a few deep breaths, decide what the truth of the situation REALLY is, and begin the counteroffensive. It’s YOU -vs- YOU every time, so make sure the right you wins!
It can also be very helpful to create a “patience” mantra; something supportive and uplifting. You might begin by saying the affirmation for today, “I am patient with myself.” Repeat your mantra whenever you’re feeling impatient with yourself.
I know all of this seems difficult, but it’s not really hard at all; it’s just scary, because it’s contrary to what you believe you deserve. So be brave! When you’re feeling impatient with yourself, think of the patience you would give to a small child, and give yourself that same patience.