“Our patience will achieve more than our force.” -Edmund Burke

Patience or force….Which one do you rely upon to get things done? Why?

Each and every day, we are confronted with things that just don’t go our way. Projects go awry, people refuse to change, timelines don’t progress as we think they should - the list goes on. Think about how you respond in these situations. Are you calm, cool, and collected? Are you agitated and antsy? More importantly, ask yourself, is your common response beneficial to solving the problem at hand? If not, perhaps it’s time to consider an alternative.

In these trying situations, it often comes down to deciding between being patient or using force. Will you wait and let things happen as they will, or will you force it to go the way you think it should go? While in the moment it is tempting to use force, to get it done, and to get it done your way, often the hands-off option is a more successful one.

Why is patience so strong? Patience is powerful because it is a thing of the mind. When you can harness the power of your thoughts and focus on patience, you are being present, you are surrendering, you are trusting in a greater control that force could never accomplish on its own.

So the next time you are tempted to take the shortcut and employ force before patience, stop and reflect. After all, you know what they say…good things come to those who wait.