Is Patience Really A Virtue?

We are told that time can perform many miracles. Patience is one of the major ingredients that lead to consistent success in most areas of life. You must develop patience if you are ever going to be successful in dealing with life’s problems. Patience is not a popular subject for our, “I want it now” microwave society. Patience conjures up all kinds of thoughts like, “I might not get it”; “It might take too long”; “I might forget it”, even worse. But patience is a major factor in making our dreams come true. Remember that Rome was not built in a day!

When something comes right away, we forget the triumph a too quickly and are on to the next deal. The absolute optimum way to live would be to be able to control the timing of everything that happens to us. But, we cannot because only Hashem is in control of such matters. And, if everything were to just fall on us like ripe apples off a tree, we would be running all over town trying to avoid being knocked out by all the falling apples.

There is a famous adage, “G-d’s delays are not His denials.” This is so true. Patience has character building power within it. It takes the impossibilities of life and turns them into realities. Waiting Always Lasts Too Long! But that is the part of patience I want to help give you a different perspective on. Patience was designed to help us grow and to develop compassion and empathy, and make us strong. It is not meant to tear us down, to destroy our dreams, or make us wonder if our goals and objectives will ever be realized. Here are a few tips which may help.

  1. Patience was not created in order to make life difficult. Patience is part of our lives and what may help us is the knowledge that Hashem’s timing is always better than ours. Think about it. If you had your way, how many times would you choose to wait for something you really wanted or needed? Your timing would always be, “I want it now!” And, if it was something that is not desirable, your timing would be to wait, and wait, and wait. Therefore, Hashem guides us and says, “Wait, you’re moving too fast.” Since Hashem will have the final word, we find ourselves, waiting! And, because timing is so crucial to every- thing in life, we tend to have a hard time understanding what good it is doing us, “waiting”. But if we do – everything will fall into place.
  2. Remember that waiting is meant to shape our character. Lack of patience has caused much damage. Without patience you would have no hope because everything you wanted would just fall into your lap. Without patience you would have no faith because all your dreams would materialize instantly. As a result, you would not become excited about anything in life. Think of it that way.

There are times we are invited to a friend’s gathering or any social event and we dread every minute of it because we will not know anyone – and we are far too shy to begin a conversation with a total stranger. But do not worry. There are many ways to break the ice. Here are some tips that may be helpful.

  1. Introduce Yourself. The first thing you should do is to introduce yourself to the person. “Hi. I’m Suri. I don’t believe we’ve met.” Remember this is not a personal ad. If you are tempted to begin chatting about your personal history – DO NOT. Keep it simple and flowing.
  1. Make A Comment. If you are uncomfortable asking a direct question you can make a statement about your surroundings. For example: “This is a great dinner. I love this music. Etc.” Whether they agree or disagree with you, this can be a great conversation starter and might even open up a chance to show your fun loving personality.
  1. Give The Person A Sincere Compliment. “You are wearing a beautiful suit, where did you get it?” This will not only start a conversation however will show the person you are interested in them, as compliments always make a person feel good.

Remember to always keep a smile on your face and just remember to be yourself and have fun.