We’ve all been there—feeling the heat of anger pushing us to react in ways we later regret. While anger can sometimes protect us, it often ends up causing harm to ourselves and others. The key to breaking this cycle is patience.
Patience isn’t just about waiting. It’s about letting go of the need to lash out and choosing to respond calmly instead. Lama Choedak Rinpoche captures this perfectly with the phrase “pause for a cause,” reminding us that patience helps us avoid regret and make better choices.
Here are three ways to build patience:
- Staying calm when wronged – Instead of reacting with anger, acknowledge the hurt without retaliating. This helps break the cycle of negativity, maintains your peace of mind, and prevents the situation from escalating. Over time, it builds emotional resilience and allows you to respond with compassion instead of impulsiveness.
- Handling life’s challenges – When facing obstacles, approach them with resilience and persistence. Instead of giving up or feeling overwhelmed, view challenges as opportunities to grow stronger. With patience, you can navigate difficult situations calmly, focusing on solutions rather than dwelling on setbacks. Over time, this mindset helps build inner strength and the ability to persevere through adversity.
- Facing tough realities – Accepting difficult truths without fear means confronting reality as it is, even when it’s uncomfortable or painful. By meeting these truths with patience and an open mind, you can embrace them without being paralysed by fear or denial. This allows for deeper understanding, helping you transform challenging experiences into opportunities for wisdom and personal growth.
In Buddhism, patience is one of the six perfections. It’s essential for transforming suffering into wisdom and finding inner peace, helping us respond with compassion instead of anger.
Bringing Patience Into Everyday Life You don’t need to overhaul your life to practice patience—small steps can make a big difference:
- Take mindful breaths: When you feel frustrated, pause and take a few deep breaths to create space between reaction and response.
- Reframe challenges: Try to see obstacles as chances to grow your patience.
- Listen with compassion: Be fully present in conversations without interrupting or pushing your views.
- Recite a mantra: Our SRE volunteers teach the children that if they are getting upset or angry to use Manjushri’s Speech Blessing Mantra – OM A RA PA TSA NA DHIH
By making patience a regular part of your routine, you’ll notice a significant shift in how you handle difficult situations. Not only will it help you reduce feelings of anger and frustration, but it will also build your emotional resilience, allowing you to stay grounded even in the face of challenges. Every time you choose patience, you create space for understanding, compassion, and thoughtful decision-making.
As this practice becomes second nature, you’ll find yourself approaching life with greater clarity and calm. Instead of reacting impulsively, you’ll have the ability to pause, reflect, and respond in ways that align with your values. Over time, this will help you avoid regret, mend relationships, and transform negative situations into opportunities for growth. Ultimately, cultivating patience leads to a deeper sense of wisdom, inner peace, and emotional balance, enriching both your life and the lives of those around you.