On Demand This! The dark side of Impatience

With the accessibility of practically everything at one’s fingertips these days, have you noticed how people get impatient when things are anything less than immediate? Immediate gratification has become the norm with expectations, but there is a downside: frustration when others don’t keep up to speed. Impatience is a form of anger, and there is much anger today. Research, conduced before the introduction of WiFi, suggests that the average person gets “angry” about 15 times per day. Most likely, that number is even higher now. There is a joke about time management that goes like this… Time is a way of allowing everything NOT to happen at once. Our “On demand” culture has compressed time into a mounting frustration for many people. The immediacy of information, accessibility, 24/7 shopping, and oh so much more has created a culture of impatience. BUT… you have a choice. Your can dive headfirst into the whitewaters of our “On Demand” culture or you can stand by the side of this turbulent river and take only when needed. Please choose carefully.

• Stress Tip For The Day:
Take stock of your life today. Are you someone who is impatient, even more so today than years since? Have you taken the “On demand” concept a little too far and started to demand everything your way? Despite what our cultural trends suggest, there is an order and time for everything, even if it doesn’t match your expectations. And if it doesn’t, this would suggest to fine-tune your expectations. If you choose to dive headfirst into the whitewaters of our “On demand” culture, be prepared to be thrashed by the waves that show only indifference to your demands. Remember technology is supposed to serve you, not the other way around. Remember also the art of balance in living your life.

• Links/Books Worth Noting:
This link has absolutely nothing to do with impatience, but everything to do with humor, which is a great coping technique for stress. Enjoy!
http://www.hulu.com/watch/184577/saturday-night-live-moms-on-facebook

• Quote for the Day:
“Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.” — Albert Einstein

• Photo of the Day:
While contemplating a photograph to post with this blog entry, I mulled over the expression “glacial pace,” which then got me to thinking about glaciers, and voila, I had a photo of one: The glacial ice cap of Greenland with my impetuous tour guide posing for this shot. Enjoy!

Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of stress management, mind-body-spirit healing and stress and human spirituality. He is the author of over 10 books including the bestsellers, Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward, The Art of Calm, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart and Managing Stress (6E). He can be reached through his website:www.brianlukeseaward.net

© Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.

Brian Luke Seaward

Author Brian Luke Seaward

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