When You’re Past the Point of Patience
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
Sometimes you feel that no matter how much patience you exhibit, certain matters are beyond your control and cannot be easily fixed. Things take longer than you want them to, people can be improperly trained and inefficient in dealing with your needs, phone numbers don’t work, deadlines aren’t met, clear communications are misunderstood, etc.
What can you do?
I know, like me, you may sometimes feel like you’d like to vanish or disappear someone else. No matter how you try to keep your cool, someone can push just your right buttons so your blood starts to boil and any amount of professional calmness you started with becomes hard to hold onto.
An hour and a half rectifying miscellaneous flight charges with the airlines and my credit card company for a trip I’ taking tomorrow when I’m pressed to prep, was not part of my day’s plan. It’s disappointing, and yet it’s what needed to happen to be clear about something or to someone, it most often can’t be avoided. The old expression, “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” is still the best way to handle matters and will cause people to ultimately respond to support you, vs. if you bite their head off. (And on the bright side, I did create this blog while waiting on the phone).
To not let yourself get worn down or feel beat, consider that these incidents aren’t time stealers, but rather part of the normal occurrence of life. Instead of getting disillusioned with it not flowing effortlessly, focus on accepting it as it is, vs. trying to be patient when it doesn’t go right. Then notice how this switch can allow your patience to fall in line. At least that’s what I’m working on, letting needless worries float on by and turning my attention to acceptance and to how I’ll restructure my day so that it will all work out — because doesn’t it usually any way?
COACH ASKS: Am I accepting or resisting what’s occurring? If I’m resisting, how might I take a break and revisit the situation once I’ve gained perspective on the matter. i.e. Is it really a life or death issue?















