The reward of patience is...patience.  St. Augustine discovered that a long time ago.  He came to the understanding that life is a long, long journey and it is essential to become comfortable with the waiting.

In essence we have no choice but to be patient.  Can we make the sun rise sooner?  the bus arrive more quickly?  the checkout line speed up?  our investments mature this month?

When our daughter was young she developed her own strategy for coping with anticipation.  She told me once, "If I just go to sleep, my birthday party will come more quickly!"  Her preference was being unconscious rather than being frustrated.

What is the alternative to being patient?  I think it is giving up. 

• We can wait for the acceptance letter, or we can give up on college. 
• We can be patient as our children mature or make them into little adults and rob them of their childhood. 
• We can focus our businesses and organizations on the long term goals, or take out all the equity now and let them die.

The more I embrace waiting as a way of life, the more I am able to see what is happening around me and sometimes take actions which in fact provide a short cut to a goal.  Rushing and pushing and chasing may keep me from finding a really good alternative to the perceived obstacle.  And in the process I can crush the spirits of the people around me.

We get lots of encouragement to go, go, go.  So it is a discipline to think "marathon" not "sprint" and to develop those skills that will be useful for the long haul.

When did impatience cause you to miss something important?
How are you learning patience?