Seeker Magazine

Patience and Tolerance


Patience does not crimp the flow of events
Patience accepts and tolerates
the different ways we each have
of seeing and acting out life
Tolerance accepts that each of us
is doing what we need to for this moment


Tolerance arises from a state of mental relaxation
that allows us to remain calm
when we see others acting in a way we think should be different
Caring love begets tolerance:
When we care about others, we act for them as a support system
We are not there to make another person's decisions--
unless we are entrusted with others well-being
(such as for a little child or a childish adult)
To do so, robs another of control and ownership of their moment
The mental relaxation of patience
allows us to tolerate differences from ourselves
that we perceive in others:
their age, feelings, opinions, attitudes, religious beliefs,
political positions, appearances, habits, actions, and on and on
We are living in the large fish bowl of the world--
our different perspectives on a given topic
allowing many ideas to float in the brine
With the attitude of caring love, peace, patience, and tolerance
ideas promoting the greatest good
arise to the surface of our consciousness
into clear light
ready to benefit all creation


Patience and Tolerance--
Accepting differences
remaining peaceful
recognizing that each of us
has the right to determine our reality
Caring love--
Being supportive
while not taking away another's right
to determine their reality
Why are we Impatient and Intolerant?
As humans we reach out to others to fill a void in life
We seek to find our completeness in the company of another
or by possession of an object--
as if what another or anything outside of ourselves can offer
will make us happy
We expect a certain behavior from our mate
and are often disappointed
Disillusionment and sadness follow
when our mate does not fulfill our desires
We often keep looking to new people in search of happiness
We become impatient and intolerant
when we realize
the world outside of ourselves cannot give us happiness
But where does happiness lie?
We know happiness exists
because we see happiness in other people
Until we discover that our source of happiness is being carried along
right within us
at every moment of our lives
we will continue to look outside of ourselves
for a source to make us happy
We remain impatient and intolerant with our relationships
and dealings in the world
until we learn to relax into our own internal state of happiness