PATIENCE/TOLERANCE “The person who has a tremendous reserve of patience and tolerance has a certain degree of tranquility and calmness in his or her life.”-The Dalai Lama “How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees.”-Shakespeare “Tolerance is not a quality much practiced in today’s society. The left hates the right, the right hates the left; races and religions tend to see the ‘other’ as the problem. Isn’t it time to hone up our tolerance and practice harmony?”-G.H.McClain Dear Tolerant Souls, Isn’t it time to become intolerant of intolerance? We’ve come to a time when intolerance is the brand of human beings, and it’s not working—politically, socially, economically, racially or spiritually. We’re all human beings sharing an increasingly smaller world. Everything is tied to everything else, and as the old song goes, “We got to live together.” In truth, we’re all sick of it, but we’re all a part of the problem, as well. We get angry at congress for gridlock, but we’re all sure it’s the other party that’s causing the problem. We get sick of the economic situation, but we aren’t willing to lose part of our share of the pie in order to benefit the whole. We don’t like racism, but we’re sure it’s the other race that is causing the problem. And religious differences? Forget it! How do we develop tolerance and patience? We’re clear that it all begins with us, right? If we haven’t cleaned up our own tolerance act, how can we complain about others? But how do we do it? First, we must decide that it is the right thing to do; then we clearly intend to be more patient and tolerant; and then, we practice. We practice being aware of every intolerant or impatient thought or word, and when we notice one, we turn it around. I find the fastest way to turn around intolerance or impatience is through understanding and acceptance. We try to see the other person’s point of view, and then we accept them as not being wrong, just different. We practice compassion for them, and wish them well. We make peace. There are many tools for practicing patience, and we should find our own. It helps to remember the reason for doing it: Peace. Peace within ourselves, and peace in the world. We got to live together. In patience and tolerance, Paul Sibcy
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 15:35:09 +0000