Patience is a Virtue

I am not a patient person. Everybody says so.

I haven’t brought this up until now, but one of my hobbies is acting. My first degree was in theatre, and a few years ago I decided to indulge myself and get back into theatre.

As I write I am multitasking (see previous blog on time management). I am in a rehearsal and find I am not needed for 20 pages or so.

Which led me to think about patience. There is much patience required in the theatre or film. Tomorrow I am up at five to be an extra in a movie. A wedding guest. It will be cold and there will be hours and hours of sitting around waiting. Time that I never manage to use productively.

But patience is a large part of working with people. Listening to stories, hearing the underlying message, ensuring your audience feels heard. Why does that matter?

It matters because you want to feel as though someone listens to your needs and wants. You know that you are understood, that your stories are important to someone. If I work with you to downsize your home, and you get a chance to tell me about each item, where it comes from and how important it is to you, you will feel better letting it go. I have worked with many individuals who have rich histories, a past that is important to them. Sharing a piece of the past during the downsizing process is a necessary part of the process.

Patience really is a virtue.