Patience is a quality I want to continually strengthen.

I believe patience is a byproduct of self-awareness and self-control.

My patience is tested when I’m in a situation that is undesirable to me. It’s only if I’m aware a circumstance is undesirable that I have the opportunity to control my response to it.

In this way, there’s a dance between these two characteristics. Awareness grants you the ability to detect moments of impatience, while control grants you the ability to be patient.

Patience is a spectrum, and it’s a function of how many desires I have. It’s a great quality to build, because of the second-order effects in personal growth that come with it. Strive to be patient and suddenly you’ll need to acquire the presence of mind, the awareness, the discipline, and the desire to diminish your desires.

I have the desire that my life’s time is spent how I see fit. This is a reasonable desire, but it’s problematic at times. If I’m sitting in traffic or waiting in line at the pharmacy, my impatience radiates. Time is not being spent how I expected, and suddenly there’s an internal conflict that shows in the form of disappointment and impatience.

Patience is an attractive quality in a spouse, parent, child, friend, teacher—really, anyone.

I hope to the best I can be at all those things—practicing patience is one such way.