"Having Patience"
The biblical reference - "Patience" implies suffering, enduring or waiting, as a determination of the will and not simply under necessity. As such it is an essential Christian virtue to the exercise of which there are many exhortations. We need to "wait patiently" for God, to endure uncomplainingly the various forms of sufferings, wrongs and evils that we meet with, and to bear patiently injustices which we cannot remedy and provocations we cannot remove.
I speak daily with new musicians trying to break into the Texas Music Scene. I get all kinds of questions and requests for advice. It was happening so much that I decided to start a YouTube Channel and this blog to help the musicians here in Texas, United States, and the world. The truth is, there is no magic wand one can wave to become successful as a professional musician. There are no shortcuts, tricks, etc. It's all about hard work, practice, more hard work, then more practice, then even more hard work, and just when you think you're there; there is more work to be done.
The saying Patience is a virtue is an understatement. It literally has been the demise of many talented performers I have come across. The eager beavers with the stars in their eyes and dreams as big as the sky. They feel because they are talented they deserve it. The truth is.... you don't!!! You earn it. If you don't have patience it will never ever come!!!
Tips on How to Develop Patience
- Take a day where you make patience your goal for the entire day. Make a concerted effort to take your time and think about everything you do. At the end of the day, observe all the ways in which you've made smarter decisions, got along better with others and actually understood what took place. Learn to do it on a daily basis. Developing patience is much like physical exercise because it requires persistence and effort.
- Slow down. If you have the tendency to rush around and try to hurry things up, want things done immediately and can't wait for things to take their natural course, STOP. Take several deep breaths before you act or make a move. For example, if you're in a long lineup at the grocery store or in heavy traffic, make the decision to pause and not get worked up. Do some isometrics, listen to the radio, or just enjoy the view. Getting impatient won't make things move along any faster, so why get worked up for nothing?
- Practice delaying gratification. When you want to reach for that dessert, second drink, or buying your tenth pair of red shoes, stop and think about it first. Maybe you don't need or want any of them that badly after all. You can save yourself some money or added calories.
- Practice thinking before you speak. At times we blurt out the first thought that comes into our heads without considering the consequences. If we're patient, pause and go over what we want to say, we can avoid hurting or offending others.
