March 2019 Character Development Program, Patience

We think it’s extremely important for people of all ages to be regularly reminded of patience. In our modern world, people are busy, in a hurry and trying to get everything done at once as efficiently as possible. We can get almost anything we want instantly just using our phones, whether its texting someone, answering a question on google, playing a game, watching a movie, ordering a meal to come straight to our door, or calling a ride to drive us somewhere. Kids growing up now are used to this instant gratification. Our goal is to talk about using patience and delayed gratification when necessary to work towards something that you have to earn and you don’t just get. 

We are talking about places and situations where you can practice patience like at school, waiting your turn, in a line, playing with a certain toy, or for anyone older, driving in their cars! We are also talking about ways to calm yourself down, like breathing, distracting yourself while you wait, responding in a calm manner when you’re waiting for mom or dad at a store. 

We regularly practice patience in karate by holding a rest stance or horse stance while waiting for the teachers instructions, waiting in line for our turn to kick the pads, or by working towards our next stripe or belt, which takes time. Having the ability to use patience is a very important skill that both kids and adults can use in many aspects of their lives and we will all be working to improve our patience throughout the month.