Have you ever found yourself losing your cool and making impulsive decisions that you later regret?
In our 5G-paced world, it's too easy for stress and anxiety to take control over us.
Surely there's a way to maintain a clear and calm mind, even in the face of adversity? The answer may lie within a virtue less talked about.
Nelson Mandela spent over 27 years in prison before becoming South Africa's first Black president. Were he not patient, history would've been rewritten, and he would have been forgotten.
As a virtue, patience is often overlooked, but its importance should never be underestimated.
It is the foundation for a clear and calm mind (better decision-making); focus (key to high performance) and self-control (emotional intelligence).
Patience keeps anger and fear at bay, allowing you to stick to your values, beliefs and principles, maintaining faith and trust in the process.
In an age of instant gratification and glory hunting, many have fallen victim to deception, corruption, and manipulation, for want of patience.
But, with growing interest in integrity, governance and authentic leadership, patience is poised to share the limelight too. Let's look at eight elements to deepen your reservoir of patience.
FIRST, start your day with gratitude. Focus on what you are grateful for, even in the worst situations. Being alive and conscious is a blessing in itself. Remember, life is a journey and being grateful for every moment, both good and bad, makes it worth living.
SECOND, accept the uncontrollable. Understand that you cannot control every outcome, and remind yourself of this. There are way too many forces at work at any given point in time. Good things will happen in their own time.
THIRD, embrace misgivings. Accept your own and others' misgivings. Some mistakes can be avoided, but others will be made nonetheless. Learn from them and move on.
FOURTH, slow down to be more accurate and precise. Speed is fantastic, but only when necessary, and when you have control. The words engraved on a Roman coin say it best, "hasten slowly".
FIFTH, read and write. Dive into a good book or take the time to write your thoughts down. Make it a daily habit and you will boost your mental clarity, free your short-term memory of clutter and prime your mind for greater problem-solving.
SIXTH, prioritise and sacrifice. No one can have it all, and no one should have it all. Prioritise what is most important and make sacrifices, such as giving up computer games until you have scored in your exams. No pain, no gain, right?
SEVENTH, make the best of what you have. Don't fret over what you don't have, as nothing stays the same forever. Change is the only constant, so be ready to jump and glide on the wave of change as it comes swelling under you.
EIGHTH, end your day with forgiveness. Forgive yourself and others. Forget judgment and revenge.
Like a balm to the soul, forgiveness soothes the wounds of past wrongs and makes you whole. Clear your heart to clear your mind and reap the rewards of a better night's sleep and a fresher start the next day.
Patience keeps you grounded and true to your values, beliefs, and principles, no matter what distractions or temptations come your way.
But, on the other hand, impatience can lead you astray, making you take shortcuts and hasty decisions, causing regret and frustration.
Like a deep well in a dry desert, our reservoir of patience is our lifeline, sustaining us through the toughest times.
When life's sandstorms come, and they will come, our patience holds us steady, allowing us to weather the winds and days of drought.
Be wary, as patience takes an incredibly long time to build but can dry up in an instant, like a puddle of water under the hot sun.
With these eight tips, you can deepen your reservoir of patience and be better equipped to handle life's challenges.
And so, as we draw from our reservoir, we must remember to refill it it with thoughts of gratefulness, acts of kindness and moments of stillness, so that when the droughts come, we'll be ready, with a heart whole and steady.
The writer is a civil servant