Patience Really is a Virtue

Growing up I remember hearing from my parents and teachers that patience was a virtue. As a teacher myself and a parent, I’m certain I’ve uttered those words. The bottom-line fact is that the phrase holds truth.

Patience IS a virtue.

But, what does virtue mean?

A virtue is something that we consider morally right. Virtues are those truths that become part of our integrity, ethics, values, and of course, our morality.

What Makes Patience a Virtue?

Almost seems like an easy rhetorical question that does not need to be answered and would be considered common sense. If that were the case, I believe that more people would demonstrate patience.

A quick perusing of any one of our social media feeds and we can see that patience is hardly a common theme.

Patience becomes a virtue when the following stipulations are met:

• Selfishness is in check
• Awareness of the bigger picture is present
• Understanding is the motive
• Peace is the goal

Patience Makes Perfect…Well, Almost

Patience requires some giving up of something. Moat of the time what needs to be given up is our expectations of a circumstance.

As a parent, your patience is tested daily, sometimes, hourly (Can I get an Amen from the parents out there)! As an employer, manager, leader of any kind, our patience is tested daily too with those whom we are charged to lead.

The better we become at exhibiting patience, the better we become.

How is this so?

Patience means that to some degree we become subjective to another’s view, opinion, schedule. None of us willingly want to be subject to anything. We want to be in charge. I mean, I get it…. Sometimes we ARE the ones in charge.

Reality Check

Let’s shift our mindset for a moment. We need to ask ourselves is it the fact that we are “in charge” or are we “responsible” for what is going on. That perspective changes everything.

As we sift through that question for the answer to settle, I’ll explain more.

Leadership does not mean doing everything. We know this; however, do we truly act like it. Part of leading is delegating. This does not mean that we physically put our hands on what is going on, we are merely taking responsibility for the result.

Patience is taking responsibility for the result

Think about that for a moment.

Having patience is a demonstration of supreme and exemplary leadership. Allowing others to do or be and guiding them through the process is not simply good leadership, it is the epitome of unwavering patience. Teachers have it. Parents use this. World changers understand this.

When we guide the process rather than demand the result, we are implementing patience into whatever situation we have.

Patience produces a multitude of benefits. Here are 15.

• Calmness
• Understanding
• Maturity
• Strength
• Boldness
• Safety
• Stability
• Security
• Restraint
• Endurance
• Fortitude
• Tenacity
• Perseverance
• Determination
• Resolve

As we can see, having patience is more than being about simply waiting on something or someone. Patience creates a lifestyle. It forms routine, habits, customs, behaviors that guide us. We become subjective to others… willingly, yet also happily.

The most loyal “subjects” during the Roman Empire were the ones who understood that subjecting themselves to those with patience easily lead to more freedoms than could be realized.

Ask yourself who you have more patience with and where you need to incorporate more patience at.