Patience is a virtue — or so they say. It's a crucial thing that seems to creep up on us in the form of not having enough of it. The ironic thing is that patience is only built from experiencing situations that require patience, so it tends to be a correlation that there's improvement only when not having enough. Slowly, we build enough of it to pass the next trial we need it for.

I think one of the more overlooked facts of building patience is that the situations in which it's often needed are really the building blocks for using it in other places. It takes a lot of patience to really understand this.

So, what is it that's so crucial about patience? It's not easy. The easier path would be to try and build peace in our lives such that we develop the ability to find a sense of calm in trying situations. It's a great tool, and often does the trick in terms of meeting the need to get past the situation. However, it doesn't really address the chance to change our own attitudes about the situation.

For instance, understanding varying views in the work place or elsewhere and methodologies for why something is the way it is is crucial to truly getting to the end goal which requires temporary patience. Not only this, but the lessons learned in one instance can so often spill over into other more weighty decisions and trying situations. It's a bit daunting to think that the way in which we control or don't control our response to certain outcomes can have extreme changes in the way a situation progresses.

Peace is a diffusion tool. Patience is a tool for changing our mindset to better respond to a situation. Our reaction becomes one that simply does with the situation rather than avoiding our natural inclination.

Patience is a manifestation of empathy and understanding. It's an acknowledgement that we may not know the reason for a situation or every extension of thinking behind the history for why something is the way it is. We better display an understanding of behavior in others and the reality of what exists in front of us.

When we decide to deal with patience, we can begin to seek to develop our capacity for it. Not only do we see a truly self-improved ability for a new trait, but also a chance to use its applications in so many additional areas of our lives.

Ask for peace. Be patient. Watch it grow.