Passion Struck with John R. Miles - 6 Ways Patience Is an Important Virtue and How You Build It w/John R. Miles EP 151

Episode Date: June 17, 2022

John R. Miles - Six Ways Patience Is an Important Virtue and How to Build It. | Brought to you by Masterworks. Go to https://www.masterworks.io/ and use code passion to start. Today, we live in a fast-paced world where we desire results at the speed of thought. We consume our fast foods, get our groceries and meals delivered to our house, drive our fast cars, and respond to the constant instant messaging, all of which can make us prone to impatience. Now, it is okay for some things to be done faster. But not for everything. And that is why it is so vital to understand the importance of patience. --► Full show notes: https://passionstruck.com/six-ways-patience-is-an-important-virtue/  --► Subscribe to My YouTube Channel Here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnRMiles --► Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/passion-struck-with-john-r-miles/id1553279283. *Our Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/passionstruck. Thank You Masterworks for Sponsoring. This episode of Passion Struck with John R. Miles is brought to you by Masterworks.  66% of Billionaires Collect Art, so Why Aren't You? Low Minimums, Simple and Exciting. You Can Use Art as an Alternative Investment to Diversify Your Portfolio. Blue-Chip Artwork. Go to https://www.masterworks.io/ and use code passion to start. Thank you for listening to this podcast. I hope you keep up with the weekly videos I post on the YouTube channel, subscribe to, and share your learnings with those who need to hear them. Your comments are my oxygen, so please take a second and say 'Hey' ;). What I discuss about the six ways patience is a virtue and how to build it: Speed has its benefits. But, many people misinterpret that real art comes in the form of understanding when to apply both: speed at a micro-level and patience at a macro one to ultimately accomplish our end goals. I will use the story of the Chinese Bamboo tree to illustrate the benefits of patience and six ways to practice it. 0:00 Introduction and announcements 1:53 What makes us prone to impatience? 4:33 The definition of patience 5:27 The parable of the Chinese Bamboo Tree 13:02 Why do we often lose our patience? 15:16 What are the six benefits of practicing patience? 18:19 What are six steps you can take to discover and practice patience? 21:00 Why patience is a critical component of success 22:30 Analysis and wrap-up Show Links Show discussion questions: Why do we put so much focus on the quick wins? Why can patience feel counterintuitive to the big goals we set for ourselves? What did you find most inspiring about the story of the Chinese Bamboo Tree? What can you learn from the farmer's dedication? Are you experiencing any hindrances to being patient? What three things can you do to alter how you approach impatience? What steps will you take after hearing today's episode to change your approach to how you combine speed and patience? Interested in reading the transcript for the episode: https://johnrmiles.com/six-ways-to-benefit-from-the-importance-of-patience/  My episode on why you should Why the Journey Is More Important Than the Destination: https://passionstruck.com/life-is-about-the-journey-not-the-destination/  My interview with Cathy Heller on How Do You Find Your Life's Passion: https://passionstruck.com/cathy-heller-how-do-you-find-your-lifes-passion/  My interview with Jesse Gould on Saving Veterans One Heroic Heart at a Time: https://passionstruck.com/jesse-gould-heroic-hearts-project/  My interview with Jordan Harbinger on Why Legacy is Greater Than Currency:  https://passionstruck.com/jordan-harbinger-on-why-building-your-legacy-is-greater-than-currency/ Are you having trouble prioritizing yourself   John discusses the importance of self-love in Episode 104 Follow John on the Socials: * Twitter: https://twitter.com/Milesjohnr * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnrmiles.c0m * Medium: https://medium.com/@JohnRMiles ​* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_r_miles * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milesjohn/ * Blog: https://johnrmiles.com * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passion_struck_podcast/ * Gear: https://www.zazzle.com/store/passion_struck/ -- John R Miles is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of Passion Struck. His full-service media company helps people live intentionally by creating best-in-class educational and entertainment content. John is also a prolific public speaker, venture capitalist, and author named to the ComputerWorld Top 100 IT Leaders.

Coming up next on the Passion Struck Podcast, patience is crucial to daily life and might be the key to creating a blissful one. When we possess patience, we can calmly weather hindrances or adversity. So anywhere that there is frustration or hardship and that's nearly everywhere, we have the opportunity to practice it. Welcome to Passion Struck. Hi, I'm your host, John Armiles. And on the show, we decipher the secrets, tips, and guidance of the world's most inspiring people and turn their wisdom into practical advice for you and those around you.

Our mission is to help you unlock the power of intentionality so that you can become the best version of yourself. If you're new to the show, I offer advice and answer listener questions on Fridays. We have long form interviews, the rest of the week with guest-ranging from astronauts to authors, CEOs, creators, innovators, scientists, military leaders, visionaries, and athletes.

Now, let's go out there and become passion struck. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Momentum Friday, an episode 151 of PassionStruck, recently ranked by Apple, this one of the top five alternative health podcasts in the world. And thank you to each and every one of you who comes back weekly to listen and learn, how to live better, be better, and impact the world. And if you're new to the show, or you would just like to introduce this to friends or family members, we now have episode stutter packs both on Spotify and on the PassionStruck website. These are collections of your favorite episodes we organize by topic to give any new listener a great way to get acquainted to everything we do here on the show.

Just go to passionstruck.com slash starter packs to get started. In case you missed my episodes from earlier in the week, they included Kathy Heller, the incredible podcast host of the Kathy Heller Show. And during our interview, we discussed the keys to discovering your power and finding fulfillment in life. I also had on Jesse Gould, a former Army Ranger and founder of the Heroic Arts Project, which is helping countless veterans overcome their trauma through psychedelic therapy. My solo episode last week was on Why the Journey is so much more important than the destination.

Please check them all out. And I wanted to acknowledge our fan of the week, Hector Henley writes, incredible interview. I love Gretchen Ruben. John's interview of Gretchen in episode 134 was one of the best I have ever heard her give. John is really excellent at getting unique information from his guests. Through a lens of inspiration with key takeaways that I can apply in my life. Thank you, Hector, so much for leaving that review.

Now, let's talk about today's episode. Today we live in a fast-paced world where we desire results at the speed of thought. We consume our fast foods, get our groceries and meals delivered to our house, drive our fast cars, and respond to constant instant messaging, all of which makes us prone to impatience. Now, I'm not saying it's not okay for some things to be done faster. For example, using automation in factories to increase production speed will lead to more available goods for the public, and some other fast processes can help save time for other essential things, hence fast can be very good and beneficial, but not for everything. Take, for instance, learning to drive,

continual practice is required. You can't allow the eagerness and excitement of cruising your car around town to jump the methodical process needed to drive safely. You have to learn about road signs and what they mean. How to back up, how to parallel park, and so many other things. First, we generally practice in areas

where there are no other cars and gradually move to roads and highways with regular drivers. Eventually, you have the confidence to make turns, avoid distractions, and confidently drive on your own. Hence, learning to drive requires constant practice in various conditions. So the new driver is confident in their ability,

handle new situations, and detect hazards and react to them quickly. We all have goals, dreams, expectations, and aspirations, and we strive to achieve them each day. The achievement of these things makes us feel whole, joyful, and fulfilled and gives us reasons for living, even when things can be tough. But in achieving them, we often want to jump to the finish line without going through the learning process

that must be undertaken along the way, which is dependent on the importance of patients. Patients is defined by the Cambridge dictionary as the ability to wait or to continue doing something despite difficulties or to suffer without complaining or being annoyed. It never seems to astonish me how these simplistic explanations define a concept that is so challenging to practice at times.

Ultimately, patience is a virtue that helps us learn the necessary lessons on our journeys to our goals in life and to wait long enough to achieve our goals. Let's explore this through the parable of the Chinese bamboo tree. This story teaches us perseverance, personal growth, patience, and notably human potential. Thank you for choosing PassionStruck and choosing me to be your host and guide on your journey to creating an intentional life.

Now, let the journey begin. Once upon a time, a Chinese farmer let the journey begin. ["The Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the Journey the hope on harvesting and selling it. With a heart towards the future, he digs whole after whole, plants the seeds and begins their care. Day after day, he carries water, the places that he has planted them, and he also carefully inspects the areas that he has planted them, but sees no noticeable growth just soil. Knowing he has to feed his family, he plants other crops carefully sewn around the places that he planted the bamboo trees. That contained the real hope for his future. He continued to water them daily, feeding them carefully, and watching, but nothing appeared on the surface. The other crops that he plants sprout within weeks, providing immediate food for his

family, but nothing to sustain them in the long term. These crops simply provide for his most immediate needs, but the Chinese bamboo seeds contain all his hopes and dreams. A whole year goes by watering these areas daily, but nothing happens. The farmer continues to saturate the bamboo seeds in the second year, but there are no signs of visible activity or development.

His hopes and dreams seem farther away from him than ever. He wondered, has the seed rotted? Has it died before it even had a chance to grow? But he remained patient and kept nurturing the spots where he planted the seeds. Another year goes by and nothing. His neighbors who don't believe in the process and the miracle that the Chinese bamboo tree laugh at him. They mock his vision for the future and look on with scorn as he hauls bucket after buckets. The poor onto the bamboo tree seeds. The farmer begins to question himself, will it ever grow? Am I pouring water and my life's energy into something that will

reap no reward for me or my family, but he keeps at it and another year goes by and nothing. It's been four years pouring water, energy, and hope into the Chinese bamboo tree. And the farmer has nothing to show for it. Yet he continues to believe in the miracle of the Chinese bamboo. He's heard of the enormous rewards for those who are able to persevere. One day, as he stands over where he planted the trees, he cries out in frustration and desperation. The ground still reveals nothing. The very earth seems to mock him, yet he sighs and continues to haul more buckets of water to water the spots. Surely the miracle will eventually happen, he says to himself. His neighbors had quit laughing now. They no longer even cared and even gossiped that the farmer wasn't in his right senses anymore.

At this point, the farmer himself isn't even fully aware why he keeps watering these spots that seem to go nowhere. Yet he has become accustomed to this daily habit and he, due to fully, takes daily action. It's simply, patiently, what he does now, with no knowledge of reward. Just the simple, unspoken hope that life resides beneath the locations that he has been working so hard to grow. Another year passes and still nothing. It's been five years now and the farmer is completely exhausted. Tired of hauling buckets, tired of having to tend to all the other crops needed to feed his family. Tired of trying to keep his dream alive, tired of seeing no noticeable results day after day.

He stares hopelessly upon his field and thinks it was all just a waste of time. Despair rocks his soul as he thinks about the five years that he has put into his hope for a better future. The vision for a better life for his family melts away under the harsh reality. Tears fill his eyes as he grabs for his last hope and slowly lifts the bucket to pour water onto his dream. Then comes the next morning when the whole village is jolted awake by the cries of joy from the farmer. They watch startled through their windows as he runs down the dusty road calling for his family to come

and see the bamboo trees. As his family races up the road after him, the rest of the villagers hear out their windows to see what is causing the strange farmer so much joy. They find the family clustered around the areas where he has planted the seeds and they are talking excitedly. From the road, they can see green sprouts that are bursting out from the earth.

The Chinese bamboo rises before their very eyes. A farmer is dancing. The miracle has come. The places with the bamboo trees come to be where everyone in the village gathers. Watching in amazement as the bamboo grows and grows and grows five feet, 10 feet, 20 feet, 30 feet, 50 feet, and finally, 90 feet, all in just six weeks. Five years of nothing, and now this,

90 feet and six weeks, the farmer shouts, and as he stands to the side, the farmer has become completely aware that all his dreams are coming true. The harvest will provide all that he dreamed for, that he could give to his family and their families after them. The bamboo springing from the deep roots developed during the last five years will provide for generations to come. He has also realized that the lessons he has learned along the way are invaluable. Finally, my patients paid off, he says as he smiles proudly,

beaming with joy and satisfaction. From the farmer's story, we can clearly see the importance of patients when reaching for any of our dreams or goals. Using this story, Is there Backdrop? Let's now delve into why we lose patients and the effects of losing it, the benefits of patients and how we can learn to practice patients to benefit our lives. We'll be right back to the Passion Struck podcast. Oprah Winfrey, she's living, breathing proof of the power of passion, running away from home at age 13, starting a media empire, and now worth $2.6 billion. All to say that, when she makes a big move, you can learn a lot by watching. And after she made $60 million in one fell swoop, I did some research on how, and my eyes

were open to a market out there worth $1.7 billion. That for the first time we all can be part of no Oprah level billions needed. How? There's a startup that's blowing a whole thing wide open called Masterworks. Powered by passion like all good startups are and eager to change the world. To learn more, go to masterworks.io and use promo code passion. That's masterworks.io promo code passion. See important regulation, A, disclosures at masterworks.io slash CD. That's masterworks.io promo code passion.

And we know all these promo codes can be so difficult to remember. So we put them in one convenient place on passionstruck.com slash deals. Thank you so much for supporting the sponsors who support this show and make it free for our listeners everywhere. Now back to passion struck.

So why is patience often lost? Patients is crucial to daily life and might be the key to creating a blissful one. When we possess patients, we can calmly weather hindrances or adversity. So anywhere that there is frustration and hardship, which is just about everywhere, we have the opportunity to practice it. However, many factors contribute to making us look for shortcuts and losing patients in our everyday lives. Three of the most common ones include first, ignorance of the importance of patients.

Our lives are outcomes of our daily choices, something that I just covered two episodes ago when I talked about the importance of microchois. And these choices depend on what we do know, or in other cases, what we don't know. Hence, without proper knowledge of the process, required to achieve a goal or dream, it's easy to think that things are too slow,

and in turn, we lose our patience. Had the farmer on Earth to seed every year to see if it was growing, he would have hindered the Chinese bamboo trees growth and stunted its potential. Second, the lack of a solid foundation. Just as bamboo trees need to have robust root systems to survive, the same principle holds true for how we live our own lives. We often labor towards our goals and dreams, but encounter adversity and obstacles along the way. Like learning to drive a car without a solid foundation to handle the unexpected hazards along the way, we often give up on our journeys and fill to pursue our passions. Third, comparing ourselves to others.

We are all running individual races in life and ultimately have different pieces of growth. Comparing yourself to others and their opinions is a sure fired path to inpatients. When another person is doing better than us or has a different view on the merits of our aspirations. So what are the consequences of inpatients? Several adverse effects are bound to occur when we lack patience in our lives. These include loss of focus, not sustaining what we start, mental and physical health issues, anger and frustration, poor judgment and decision-making, and many, many more. So now that we've covered why people are in patients and the consequences, what are

the benefits of patients? Following our six essential reasons why you should practice patients. First, it helps you make logical decisions. When you are patient, you will be in a better state of mind to handle sudden situations because you will be calm enough to pause, think,

and reflect to avoid acting rashly. Second, it improves your overall health. A patient person will be able to handle pressure and other emotions very well because they learn to take charge of their circumstances and not let their conditions control them. A 2007 study published by UC Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons and Fuller Theological Seminary Professor Sarah A. Schnicker found that people possessing patients are less likely to experience depression and negative emotions. Third, it enhances your relationships.

In their 2014 study, Deborah Comer and Leslie E. Cicercca found that patients involves infatically assuming some personal discomfort to alleviate the suffering of those around us. When you practice patients, you will be able to better understand and tolerate the various people in your life. This in turn will cause them to value you and ultimately results in the relationships thriving. Fourth, it maximizes your potential. The difference between a rush assignment and one that is patiently done is always obvious. When you practice patience, you will be learning many important lessons that will equip you to do as much as possible the best way that you can. Fifth, it brings peace of mind. With patience comes a tranquil and peaceful state of mind

that refuses to be anxious or annoyed about the seemingly slow pace of things. Even though situations beyond your control might arise and tempt you to worry or act aggressively, practicing patience will allow you to remain calm and in control of such situations. Six, it ignites hope. Like the farmer, when you learn to become patient,

you can stay hopeful even when your situation suggests otherwise. And when you have hope, you will be able to wait long enough until you obtain the great things that you desire in life. Do you have a topic like today's that you would like to see us cover? You can reach us at Momentum Friday at PassionStruck.com. Keep your emails concise. Use a descriptive subject line. That keeps things easy for us. Reach out to us if there's a topic you're interested in learning about. There's something that maybe you're going through, any big decision that you're wrestling with, or perhaps you just want a new perspective on work, love, or life.

Whatever's got you staying up at night, hit us up at Momentum Friday at PassionStruck.com. We're here to help and we keep every email anonymous. Now, back to PassionStruck. So how is patience learned and practiced? Patience is not only a virtue, but it's also a skill that can be learned and continuously nurtured. The following are six practical steps that you can take to nurture this important skill

of patience. First, focus on your own journey. By paying attention to your personal and unique journey towards your dreams and goals, you can avoid Russian or taking shortcuts to get to where others you perceive are. This focus will help you concentrate and get the very best from yourself. Second, understand your process. Before setting out to pursue any goal, take time to understand exactly what is required

to achieve that goal. This will help you guard against a self-limiting mindset that you're supposed to be getting things done faster and prevent you from having unnecessary pressures. Third, mind your environment. We are all byproducts of certain environments. So if you are constantly around impatient people, you will likely be as well. So intentionally disassociate yourself from people and places If you are constantly around impatient people, you will likely be as well.

So intentionally disassociate yourself from people and places who can negatively influence you. Realize the environment isn't only a physical place, but something that also influences your mind. So consciously guard your mind intentionally against things that could influence it to be impatient. Fourth, spend time in leisure activities. One reason that you may easily get worked up in impatient with yourself, people, and situations is because you don't have proper work-life balance, which is leading you to feel extremely stressed out.

You need to loosen up and find ways to conduct adult play or enjoy relaxing activities like going to the beach, listening to music, playing games, hanging out with friends, going on a nature hike, etc. These will help you relax your mind and put you in a better state to practice patience. Fifth, maintain an attitude of gratitude. When you are continuously grateful for the things that you have in your life, no matter how small they may seem, you can stay patient in anticipation of the things that you're looking forward to. Ultimately, this attitude will encourage you and strengthen your resolve to wait until you get what you hope for.

6. Practice Empathy. In learning to be patient towards others, you must consciously practice empathy, the ability to share and understand other people's feelings. This will help you so much be able to respond to their actions and enable you to treat them with love and respect. For more about empathy, you can check out episode 118

of the podcast. Gary Vaynerchuk said, patience is a hindrance to success. It's a key component. Gary makes a great point that it takes time to accomplish great things. There is a process to everything in life, and anything worthwhile and meaningful will always require a lot of patience to see it through and to see it done successfully. As I mentioned from the beginning, speed has benefits. But many people misinterpret that the true art comes in the form of being able to apply both speed at a micro level and patience

at a macro one to ultimately help us achieve our goals. Let's face it, patience is a difficult virtue to master. But it can significantly impact the outcome of your goals. When you are patient, it improves both your mental and physical health. It's fundamental in strengthening relationships and can bring you great joy. Patients is absolutely essential in life and will allow you to succeed personally and professionally. Don't stress over achieving a certain goal by eye time or age. Just enjoy the journey like I talked about last week. Finally, I will leave you with the words a famous American

and businessman, Thomas Edison, who said, many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close to success they were when they gave up. I hope you choose not to give up, but to practice patience so that you can fulfill your biggest dreams. I hope you all enjoyed this show and I wanted to thank everyone who wrote in this week. And of course, everybody who listened. Thank you so much. A link to the transcript will be in the show notes. Videos are on YouTube, advertiser deals and discounts are located at passionstruck.com slash deals.

Please consider supporting those who support the show. I am John R. Miles, both on Twitter and Instagram, and you can also reach me on LinkedIn. And if you want to understand how I manage the book, all these amazing guests on the show, it's because of my network. Build those relationships before you need them. Most of the guests that you hear on the show actually subscribe to the podcast and give suggestions for guests and topics that we cover. So come and join us.

You'll be in some very smart company. You're about to hear a preview of the Passion Strike podcast with Dr. David Yaden, assistant professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His work in the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research focuses on psychology, neuroscience, and psychopharmacology of so-called spiritual, self-transcended states, and other positively transformative experiences. I think we can call these experiences self-transcended experiences. This is like an umbrella term. And self-transcendent experiences, there's a lot of different ones, but they seem similar in that they're all intensely altered states of consciousness, involving some degree of self-diminishment and feelings of connectedness. And these range in intensity. The fee for the show is that you share it with friends. When you find

something useful or interesting, if you know someone who needs more patients in their life, please go ahead and share this episode with them. The greatest gift that you can give us is to share this show with others that you care about. In the meantime, do your best to apply what you hear on the show so that you can live what you listen and we'll see you next time. Now go out there and live life passion strength. you