One of the best lessons you can teach your youth ministry is that when you gain the wisdom of patience, you can improve your life as well as the lives of the people around you. You will also become a calmer and peaceful person.
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You might find that you’re patient in some areas, and lacking in others. No matter where you stand, you can always further develop the skill of patience.
Remember That Everyone Is Different
Are you accepting of yourself and others? It’s quite difficult to avoid comparing yourself to others, and when you do compare, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment.
For example, if you’re attempting to learn a new skill, it might take you longer to become an expert and that’s okay. If you have the patience to see it through to the end, you’ll eventually get there.
There are also certain things that people don’t have any control over, and as fate may have it, you may have to display quite a bit more patience than someone else in the same situation. If you accept the situation you’ve been given, you’ll certainly have an easier time of it!
Help Others With Their Skills
Do you find yourself in situations where you become easily frustrated with others? Perhaps they haven’t done as good a job as you think you could do.
Rather than letting those negative emotions fester inside you, take action to fix the situation instead. Lend a helping hand in order to help them develop their skill. Teach others instead of resorting to anger and frustration!
Helping others benefits everyone involved in the long run, and all it takes is the patience to help others with the little tasks.
Act Rather Than React
When a lack of patience starts to bring out you frustrations, there’s probably something you can do besides just thinking about the situation. If you keep yourself busy, there won’t be any time to let the frustration show.
Just tell yourself that you don’t have the option of waiting. You can either take action to fix the situation, or occupy your time with something more beneficial to you. Instead of waiting, maybe there’s something else you can do that’s enjoyable. You can even just take joy in experiencing the present moment and relax.
Count To Ten
Sometimes you may feel like you’re at the end of your rope and fear that you may react inappropriately because of a lack of patience. In this case you can practice the “count to ten” rule.
Tell yourself that no matter what, you can’t react immediately to a situation. Take a deep breath and slowly count to ten. These brief moments may be all it takes to get you to act calmly and rationally.
See Things From Another Point Of View
You can also get into the habit of seeing things from another point of view. When all else has failed, put yourself into another person’s shoes and broaden your horizons. Understand that everyone is not like you; they don’t have the same thoughts, opinions, or abilities. Seeing the same situation through the eyes of others may be enough to bring you wisdom and patience.
Incorporate these techniques into your daily life and, rather than facing the frustration of impatience, you’ll feel the joy that more patience and understanding brings!