with Chaplain Paul
“Virtue”
OK, what is a virtue? You have certainly heard the phrase, “Patience is a virtue”.
The dictionary says that a virtue is a particular moral excellence. In my work with patients and clients I see a consistent pattern in peoples’ lives regarding the effects of “Impatience” and how toxic it can be. Patience truly can be a moral principal in a person’s life that can provide maturity, self-confidence and spiritual strength. Other virtues such as charity, humility, love and faith can foster spiritual wellness in a myriad of ways. In the same way our physical bodies can suffer when there is a deficiency in certain minerals and vitamins, our wellbeing can suffer deeply when there is a deficiency in the key moral principles that feed, shape and define our core beliefs and character. Let’s take a look at what the dictionary says about the virtue of…
PATIENCE.
- The quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.
- An ability or willingness to suppress rest lessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.
- Quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence.
IMPATIENCE
- Lack of patience.
- Eager desire for relief or change; restlessness.
- Intolerance of anything that thwarts, delays, or hinders.
Impatience can have a devastating impact on us and rob us from valuable life experience. Let’s look at a few things that it causes.
First, it causes you to become something most people don’t want to be. It makes you egocentric, self-centered. It takes you away from listening and being in the present moment. It contaminates communication and prevents vital information from being shared and understood. It makes the other person believe that you don’t really care about them or what they think and feel. It puts you in a place of angst and irritability that ultimately is toxic to you in body, mind and spirit.
I really like number three in the definition of patience.
Quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence.
It also: Opens the door for empathic communication to take place.
Slows down communication in a way that allows feeling, cognition and understanding to be achieved.
It allows for love and compassion to be experienced.
It builds trust
It creates meaningful bonds between people
I leave you with a challenge. Take a hard look at how you handle patience in your life. Set some goals to manifest a quiet and calm presence, a steady perseverance, an even-tempered caring and managing your communication with marked diligence. Remember, “Patience is a virtue”, a particular moral excellence!
Dr. Yu and I want to invite you again to our Medical Spiritual Wellness Support Group at Prevention and Healing. The group meets on the third Tuesday of each month from: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. The address is: 10908 Schuetz Road St Louis, Mo 63146. Next Meeting Tuesday November 19, 2013.
Blessings and Peace, Chaplain Paul
Director for Medical Spiritual Wellness
Prevention and Healing, Inc.
Office 314-432-7802 • Cell 314-440-1527
E-mail pjoh420@aol.com