Patience as Power

Decades ago I was asked in an interview what I wanted, what I was praying for. Quite innocently I said, “Patience.” I was then told how it was the most difficult thing in the world to ask for because in order to learn and receive it one had to go through many trials and tribulations. After forty years of learning patience I now know what they were talking about and I wouldn’t trade the experiences for anything. Patience is a gift I continually attend to. It changes everything.

You’re stories are as great and greater than mine so today I’ve decided to give you a dozen quotes on patience to journey with in reflection on this most noble of subjects. With today’s fast paced multi-tasking lifestyles it seems appropriate to again take a look at what has been said about patience. It’s a worthy goal and as I’ve discovered, well worth the effort to live with the great genius of patience all ways and everywhere. Let’s see what you discover about it for you.

Patience is power. Patience is not the absence of action; rather it is timing. It waits on the right time to act for the right principles and in the right way. – Fulton J. Sheen –

 In the end we are always rewarded for our good will, our patience, fair-mindedness and gentleness with what  is strange. – Friedrich Nietzsche –

 Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind. -David G. Allen –

 Patience is the companion of wisdom. – St. Augustine –

 Patience is not the acceptance of weakness. It’s the quiet, slow, deep finding of strength. It’s getting on with it. – Julia Cameron –

 Our patience will achieve more than our force. – Edmund Burke –

 Trying to understand is like straining through muddy water. Have the patience to wait. Be still and allow the mud to settle. – Lao Tzu –

 Why is patience so important? Because it makes us pay attention. – Pablo Coelho –

 Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself. – St. Francis de Sales –

 Patience is not passive waiting. Patience is active acceptance of a process required to attain our goals and dreams. – Ray A. Davis –

 Genius is eternal patience. – Michelangelo –

• Reflect on what you’re being directed to give greater attention and patience to in this moment.
• Breathe deeply in and out. Feel the receptivity and resistance to this call for greater patience.
• Be still and know – – – the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual benefits of patience.
• Become aware of your timing as you walk through your days. How does patience feel to you?