tales of Suchita

If there are two things anyone who has known me for any length of time will say, they are:
Oh my god you’re so tall
Oh my god how are you so patient?!

Well today, on popular demand (of my 5 friends) I shall reveal my golden sutras that can help you to build your patience too:

I. no one will ever function at the same level as you

You could be slower than the rest – then your impatience is mostly with yourself. You could be faster than the rest – then you’ll be impatient with others. Your brain could make connections faster than a super computer or you may need to be explained concepts twice…thrice…before they make any dent in your head. Accept this about yourself.

II. Let kindness be your goal

People don’t read instructions. They don’t read emails. They don’t want to go through a 3-page FAQ which you have painstakingly prepared precisely to ward off questions because they would rather a human explain something to them which they could have understood had they spent a minute reading the FAQs.

You can either demonize that human, or you can answer their question – which is mostly wrapped up in fear or anxiety – with kindness.

III. Know your triggers

Wastage is something I cannot abide and I may be the epitome of patience, but when I see someone wasting anything, my hackles rise. This is so bad that I will even save a scrap of paper, hoping I’ll use it one day, knowing full well I will not.

Another source of impatience stems from our need to control a situation. And when the situation does not respond to our need, we get angry. Control also stems from fear. And when you mix fear with impatience, oh boy you have yourself a hot soup that will only scald.

Identify what triggers that annoyance on your face, when that foot starts tapping in impatience. Learn to manage it.

IV. Chalo Chalo

Physically we may be doing 1 task but mentally there may be 20 different windows open in our brain. While some call this ability multitasking, I feel this is the number 1 cause of impatience. Because you’re not completely focused on the task at hand and because your head has reached point 17 of the to-do list, you feel everything around you is out to annoy you or moving too slowly or too fast.

Come back to the task at hand. Stop your brain from jogging ahead.

V. Breathe

A lot of my patience comes from breathing and making an active choice to not get impatient or to release that pent up emotion by breathing or doing a physical action like shaking my hands or head to release the energy or tick.

VI. practice

The only reason I have been able to give you 5 points is because I have been practicing being a more patient person since I was 7-8 years old. This is a habit, an active choice you have to make, and thus requires practice. You will fail. But you also have the potential to succeed. Only if you practice it daily.

Patience with you may it be.

PS: The person who you need to be most patient with is yourself.