Today's Practice: Practice Patience

How patient are you really? 

I used to think I had endless access to patience, "I work with children..." I used to say, "I can walk a child through instructions over and over again, as many times as they need to hear it, I am the most patient!"

Then I was given a dog.

Training a tenacious puppy showed me just how wrong I had been. Throughout our two years together, she has been a constant reflection of where I am off and where I lose patience, but not only patience... presence! If I am not present with her, her focus is gone, she is distracted and pulling us in 10 thousand other directions. The more present, patient and attentive I am when I am with her - the better our relationship is.

And isn't this the case with any relationship - or every relationship?! The more present, patient and focused we are - the more our loved ones feel loved. 

Today consider - how patient are you? How present? And how can you make subtle shifts to become even more...