How patient are you? If this question had been asked to me last year, I would have said zero patience. I would get frustrated if something did not happen the moment I wanted it to happen. My impatience led me to be angry at some points, and it was not a healthy habit. 

As I stated in my previous blog post, I want to live my life living every single moment to the fullest. Am I achieving what I want to do if I am angry at someone or something? I do not believe it, mainly because my next moment is not guaranteed. If I get mad at someone and God forbid something tragic happens to me within 10 minutes of getting angry at that same person, anger is the last feeling I have had in this world. Why would I want to go out that way? This thought process allowed me to understand the importance of patience. Why not delve into some examples of how I have built up my tolerance in life.

I will use two examples of becoming a more patient person: dealing with my grandmother and tutoring friends in math. My grandmother is fantastic; though many struggles come with taking care of an elderly person, she lives her life as best as possible. Whenever I am alone to take care of my grandmother, she will repeatedly ask the same question over and over again, like, "When is my breakfast?" "When is my tea?" "When are you putting on a movie for me?" Every day she gets these items at the same time, so old me would get irritated because I didn't particularly appreciate answering the same questions. Being the wise man he is, my brother asked me, "What else does she have to do?" That question hit me because my grandmother is a 90-year-old lady who has no one else around her but my family. Asking these questions repeatedly is just a way for her to talk to someone, and now I do not fault her for it. My irritated self would try to avoid my grandmother as much as possible because I did not want to answer these questions. Regardless of how many times she asks a question, I will sit there and answer them because it is the only thing she can do to pass her time. This change of perspective allowed me to embrace every second I spent with my grandmother. Every time I go home from school, one of the first things I do is go into her room and give her a big hug because seeing that smile on her face is worth it. The question that still gets to me is when she asks me, "When are you going to get married?" I playfully react by saying that it will be like six or seven years from now, and she tells me all the time, "I will be there for that, and I want to carry your children too." That one question my brother asked me changed my perspective on my grandmother significantly. Taking care of her is a blessing, and I love every second of it. Through building up patience, I have turned those moments of frustration into moments of enjoyment.

The following example in my life where patience has been needed has been tutoring my friends in math. The Air Force has this officer qualifying test where you have to pass a reading and math section; they also test you on pilot-related jobs. The only mandatory passing subjects are reading and math. Two of my close friends did not pass the math portion, and they asked me to tutor them. When I began tutoring them throughout the past couple of months, I have lost many brain cells, but it has been gratifying. Given my love for math, I thought this would be a piece of cake, but that's the furthest thing from the truth. If this were me a year ago, I probably would have stopped tutoring them and let them figure it out independently. It is essential to understand that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses; if you notice someone's shortcomings, do your best to turn them into strengths. The concepts brought up on this test come to me quickly, but to my friends, they do not.

On the contrary, the reading concepts are complex for me to understand, but my friends understand them very well. So when I went into tutoring, I asked myself, "If I asked someone to tutor me for the reading portion of this test, would I want them to bail?" I said not. Every tutoring session we have had has been great for me - and hopefully for them - because I am using my skills to better someone else. Like the many people who have used their skills to help me throughout my life, it is an unwritten responsibility in my eyes to help those around me with their struggles. This would never have been possible without me intentionally practicing patience, and I truly enjoy doing this.

Be patient! Not only to those of your close friends and your career aspirations but to every single person and event that comes across in your lifetime. This will allow you to become less stressed when you are forced to wait for something and, as stated last week, will allow you to enjoy the moment you are in to the fullest.

Challenge: As stated above, my grandmother frustrated me with all her questions, and I quickly became frustrated. Throughout my practice of patience, I have come to realize that your instant reaction to a frustrating situation usually is harsh, and you could end up saying something you will regret later. The challenge is that when this does indeed happen to you, do not react instantly. Take a 10-minute pause to gather your thoughts and if the feeling of frustration is there, let that individual know, and the tone of your voice will be less harsh. If you do not need to confront the individual after the 10-minute pause, you can realize that your frustrations toward the individual are unnecessary. Give this a try, and let me know if it helps you.

Let me know your thoughts and if you want me to write about a specific topic, feel free to let me know, and I will be more than happy to do so!

How patient are you? If this question had been asked to me last year, I would have said zero patience. I would get frustrated if something did not happen the moment I wanted it to happen. My impatience led me to be angry at some points, and it was not a healthy habit. 

As I stated in my previous blog post, I want to live my life living every single moment to the fullest. Am I achieving what I want to do if I am angry at someone or something? I do not believe it, mainly because my next moment is not guaranteed. If I get mad at someone and God forbid something tragic happens to me within 10 minutes of getting angry at that same person, anger is the last feeling I have had in this world. Why would I want to go out that way? This thought process allowed me to understand the importance of patience. Why not delve into some examples of how I have built up my tolerance in life.

I will use two examples of becoming a more patient person: dealing with my grandmother and tutoring friends in math. My grandmother is fantastic; though many struggles come with taking care of an elderly person, she lives her life as best as possible. Whenever I am alone to take care of my grandmother, she will repeatedly ask the same question over and over again, like, "When is my breakfast?" "When is my tea?" "When are you putting on a movie for me?" Every day she gets these items at the same time, so old me would get irritated because I didn't particularly appreciate answering the same questions. Being the wise man he is, my brother asked me, "What else does she have to do?" That question hit me because my grandmother is a 90-year-old lady who has no one else around her but my family. Asking these questions repeatedly is just a way for her to talk to someone, and now I do not fault her for it. My irritated self would try to avoid my grandmother as much as possible because I did not want to answer these questions. Regardless of how many times she asks a question, I will sit there and answer them because it is the only thing she can do to pass her time. This change of perspective allowed me to embrace every second I spent with my grandmother. Every time I go home from school, one of the first things I do is go into her room and give her a big hug because seeing that smile on her face is worth it. The question that still gets to me is when she asks me, "When are you going to get married?" I playfully react by saying that it will be like six or seven years from now, and she tells me all the time, "I will be there for that, and I want to carry your children too." That one question my brother asked me changed my perspective on my grandmother significantly. Taking care of her is a blessing, and I love every second of it. Through building up patience, I have turned those moments of frustration into moments of enjoyment.

The following example in my life where patience has been needed has been tutoring my friends in math. The Air Force has this officer qualifying test where you have to pass a reading and math section; they also test you on pilot-related jobs. The only mandatory passing subjects are reading and math. Two of my close friends did not pass the math portion, and they asked me to tutor them. When I began tutoring them throughout the past couple of months, I have lost many brain cells, but it has been gratifying. Given my love for math, I thought this would be a piece of cake, but that's the furthest thing from the truth. If this were me a year ago, I probably would have stopped tutoring them and let them figure it out independently. It is essential to understand that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses; if you notice someone's shortcomings, do your best to turn them into strengths. The concepts brought up on this test come to me quickly, but to my friends, they do not.

On the contrary, the reading concepts are complex for me to understand, but my friends understand them very well. So when I went into tutoring, I asked myself, "If I asked someone to tutor me for the reading portion of this test, would I want them to bail?" I said not. Every tutoring session we have had has been great for me - and hopefully for them - because I am using my skills to better someone else. Like the many people who have used their skills to help me throughout my life, it is an unwritten responsibility in my eyes to help those around me with their struggles. This would never have been possible without me intentionally practicing patience, and I truly enjoy doing this.

Be patient! Not only to those of your close friends and your career aspirations but to every single person and event that comes across in your lifetime. This will allow you to become less stressed when you are forced to wait for something and, as stated last week, will allow you to enjoy the moment you are in to the fullest.

Challenge: As stated above, my grandmother frustrated me with all her questions, and I quickly became frustrated. Throughout my practice of patience, I have come to realize that your instant reaction to a frustrating situation usually is harsh, and you could end up saying something you will regret later. The challenge is that when this does indeed happen to you, do not react instantly. Take a 10-minute pause to gather your thoughts and if the feeling of frustration is there, let that individual know, and the tone of your voice will be less harsh. If you do not need to confront the individual after the 10-minute pause, you can realize that your frustrations toward the individual are unnecessary. Give this a try, and let me know if it helps you.

Let me know your thoughts and if you want me to write about a specific topic, feel free to let me know, and I will be more than happy to do so!