Daily Tools - Patience

Today I had an eruption of cosmic proportions. Not since I can't remember when did I experience the kind of frustration and overall angst that occurred mid morning after a 'less than agreeable' client who I consider to be both greedy and short sighted came at me with an expectation that was tantamount to insanity. FIRE THE SOB, I thought to myself. Oh, but I can fire a client, have done so and will continue to do so when it makes good business sense. But this one didn't. I was angry and the client meant a lot to my firm. I needed to get a grip on myself and handle the situation like a pro. But how? I was right and he was wrong. It was so obvious. But that was my first mistake, bringing out the “I”.

I felt violated, angry, self-conscious and totally out of control. Wow, what an emotional ride this morning presented. And it all stemmed from the fact that my ego, my sense of self (ie that which felt violated) reared its ugly head in a most unpredictable and dangerous manner. Imagine if I had a gun.

Life, it seems, is always testing us to see how we react. I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that it's not how much money one makes, ones social status, or any of the other 'cultural trappings' that seem so damn important while caught up in them; but how we handle ourselves when all things are laid bare and we are exposed to ourselves in the most profoundly naked and disgusting manner: when we get angry.

Patience is called the antidote for anger. And it's much easier said than done for anyone who can even vaguely recollect the feeling of wanting to throttle someone within inches of ones life (to quote from Pink). Finding ourselves amid the flames of anger can be next to impossible. I was quite aware that I was totally out of control this morning but I was powerless to control it. Only time helped me get a grip on things. And since time doesn't really exist, what was it that really helped me get my ego in check? Patience. I found patience. And I think I found it because I had been practicing.

Like someone studying a martial art, performing well in the Dojo is only possible through practice. One can't expect to perform an art form without practice. And patience is an art unto itself. It can turn the most destructive of all human emotions into a distant memory. By practicing patience, one becomes an artist at defusing situations. By practicing patience, one becomes an instrument for the betterment of all mankind. By practicing patience, one becomes a Bodhisattva.

Have a cup of patience today. Or maybe two....