The Studio (MDR)’s owner and CEO, Lisa Hirsch, on learning how to be just a little bit more patient.
Welcome to fall, and welcome to my world—the land of learning how to be patient.
Patience is one of those virtues that everyone who doesn’t have wishes they did. I know because I used to be that person, especially when I was younger. Everything had to be done yesterday. In fact, I used to pride myself on how many errands I could get done within an hour and still manage to meet a friend on time, or how many things I could cram into the few hours to myself I had on a weekend. The busier I was, the more charged I felt. Yet at some point, competing against myself to see how much more I could accomplish in the shortest amount of time got old. Geez … Type-A much?
As I grew up, I noticed that people with a certain degree of calmness—especially when faced with stressful situations—seemed to function at a higher level than the rest of us. And even though it took me a long time to learn the virtue in that and to start practicing it myself, I can tell you now that eeking out a bit more patience is well worth the effort. I can tell you that this practice of summoning more patience is especially serving me now.
Yes, we all thought that The Studio (MDR) East would have opened already, but let me be the first to assure you that you will soon be staring at that amazing hot pink lacquered ceiling! However, even though I’ve experienced my fair share of frustration at the unavoidable delays and schedules that have been pushed back by subcontractors, I have surprised myself with how incredibly calm I have remained through it all. I breeze through the emails and calls I receive daily from clients, new and old, asking when the studio will open and what is causing the delay. Believe me, I want this studio to open just as much as all of you do—but I also know that worrying about it is not going to get us there any faster ... nor will it take away any of the lines on my face (ha!).
Can you learn to be patient even if you’ve never been a patient person before? The answer is a definitive yes. If I could transform myself from a "hurry up, get everything done right this moment" person to a more quiet, calm and rational human, you can too—and I promise it won’t take the sass and fun out of you! Here are some suggestions that have worked for lil ‘ol me:
- If something bothers you, take a deep breath and think before you speak
- Learn to be more tolerant and keep an even perspective
- Ask yourself whether this will bother you 10 minutes from now, or a year from now
- Ask yourself if you’re healthier by rushing around getting everything done, or if you feel sucked dry
Simply slowing down and finding more time to enjoy the little things in life can go a long way towards helping you learn how to be more patient. The best part, I’ve found, is that more doors will open around you … perhaps even the doors to our newest, beautiful studio will seem to open a lot faster, too!
Big hug, welcome to FALL and thanks for everything that each and every one of you brings to my life,
Lisa