Day 19

"A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else"  - George Savile

For me, one of the things I struggle with most is waiting. Society has primed us to expect convenience and instant gratification. And I am not using society as an excuse for my impatience, but I will say there are many differences between the United States (especially the Northeast) and other countries. While I was studying abroad in Granada, Spain, I was shocked to see how important relaxation is. Siestas are celebrated and incorporated into the day, as businesses shut down from 3:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M. In Spain, I had to learn to practice patience, mostly because I had never had to do so before. It was also much harder to be an anxious, stressed out person when I had taken time to relax. This helped me become a much more easygoing, happy person who did not get frustrated with untimely people or situations. Even though I live in the United States and it may be harder to intrinsically be patient, it is a habit that should be practiced.