Patience

 

 "Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - everyday begin a task anew."  - Saint Francis de Sales

Patience - an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay; quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence; as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.

 

How often have you tried to challenge yourself or work towards a goal and after a couple weeks your hands go up and you say "I GIVE UP"? How often have you tried over and over to achieve the same goal but always walk away from it thinking it's just too hard?? Ask yourself, are you giving it enough time? Are you giving yourself enough time? Over and over again people will set a goal, give it a couple weeks and see no results, improvements, increases, etc., and give up. We all get frustrated when things don't happen in the time we want it to, we want a quick fix, we want things to happen now. Until we realize this is not how things happen- we will continue going through life being disappointed. 

 

The key is to focus on what you want, what your limitations are currently, and work on those things over and over. And to always know and be confident that someday you WILL get there! It's a process, a learning process, by which you have to learn that not everything comes naturally. You must compare yourself to you.

 

Patience is not one of my best qualities, though I'm learning to make it one (actually I'm making it become one!). When it comes to CrossFit, I ask for patience every single day. I have some great weaknesses, but I also have some great strengths. On those days when we have a WOD with one of my weaknesses, I get a little antsy and sometimes negative. I tend to set myself up for thinking either time may not be very good or I won't get as many rounds as I like. Then of course I get annoyed and frustrated. Mainly because I want to do better and know I can do better! This is the competitive athlete that comes out in me! So for now I have to learn to tell myself it's ok, I may not do as well as I hope but I going to the the best I can and use the opportunity to work a little bit more on my weakness. Then hopefully next time I will be better and show some improvement. 

 

You are your own toughest critic and it is yourself that you answer to at the end of the day. So whether you find patience through faith, hope, or prayer, know that good things take time, and great things take even more time! So learn. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Wait. Try again. Mess up again. Wait. Have patience. Persevere. Then, act. You might be surprised by the results!