Persistently Patient

I don't think anything tries your patience more than big life events. 

I was in a friends wedding this last weekend, which just highlighted this fact to me. 

I went a few days early to help her out and make sure that everything was done. Nothing seems to bring the stress out as much as making sure all the little details you've been planning for months that always seem to fall apart at the last minute. Sure enough some things didn't go according to plan, but largely they did. The wedding happened, the reception went off with a bang (and out with a sparkle!). It was a huge success and now they are enjoying time as a newly wed couple on their honeymoon. 

This just shows you no matter what: it will happen, time will continue, and life will go on.

Now I am by no means the picture of patience. I come with a strong predisposition towards loosing my cool. Which means that it is something that I have had to work on. Two years ago, getting my connecting flight this weekend cancelled on me would have seemed like the end of the world. I didn't end up making it back to Colorado until the next day. And the kids who couldn't stop screaming next to me on my red-eye? On a flight we had been delayed because someone called in sick? I would have been frustrated, livid even. I would have thought it was going to be the worst day. Especially since I was heading straight into work.

But did it? No. 

Do you want to know my trick that I've realized? It doesn't help to get upset about things you can't fix. It's extremely draining actually. Those kids who were crying? They were up at 3 am, and the little one couldn't get his ears to pop. The crewman who called in sick? I've woken up sick before, and I don't want that spread around a plane. These were things I couldn't help. So why should I waste my time worrying about them?

Now will I be able to keep my cool on my wedding day? I highly doubt it. I still get overwhelmed, but I'm better now than I used to be and I just want to continue that. So for now? I was the calm person helping out my friend out with on her wedding day. Especially when an extra person showed up for dinner, her younger brother was loud and annoying, and when the day before the groom still hadn't decided who was going to be his best man. At the end however, everything was beautiful and it all ended up going smoothly.

Persistently Patient. 

It's my mantra, something I've tried to be better at. Especially when I became an aunt at a very young age. I sometimes would loose my cool, and you never want it to happen it's just the final straw some days. But if you let these things get to you it will seep into all aspects of your life. And you don't want to lash out at those you love. I can tell you that I am so much happier now. It's done wonders for my anxiety, so for all the perfectionists out there. Just remember to breathe and don't sweat the stuff you can't change.