The power of patience

Patience, which originates from the Latin word for 'suffer', tends to suggest passivity. The prevalent work routine creates febrile atmosphere in which patient deliberation can be seen as weakness. Gandhiji had said, 'To lose patience is to lose the battle.' Patience is a great companion to contentment and achievement. Nature makes a promise but commitment and patience make it happen. Success is built with blocks of patience. One's patience has to be pure.

The Bhagwad Gita defines patience as control of mind, or self- control. Krishn advises, 'Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind is to be stilled in the self.' The bee collects a drop of honey from each flower patiently and stores it in the honeycomb. Vidhura, a wise character in the Mahabharat, warns Dhritrashtra not to underestimate Yudhishthir's patient reaction to Duryodhan's wrongful behaviour as weakness, as patience rooted in dharma is a highly potent weapon. Patience helps a man in the conquest of temper and it is concentrated strength.

A boy loved mangoes. He bought the best mango seed and planted it. Every morning, he would dig the earth to see if it had sprouted. In this process, he never allowed the seed to sprout. Impatience works in the same way. It is the result of lack of trust. We trust our ego and not in the miracle of life.


Patience is simple waiting. Sleep appears useless but is essential. Similarly, patience is the true achiever. It is a state of silence in which music of life come forth.