Good things come to those who wait.

Patience is a virtue.

To everything there is a season.

We’ve all heard these clichés, right? They may sound tired and worn out now, but they hold a great truth. Despite our best attempts to control and manipulate our lives, some things simply cannot be rushed.

Ask any college student who has tried cramming for a test, and they will tell you that there is only so much information you can jam into your brain in an overnight study session. Instead of rushing to make up a semester’s worth of work in a final weekend, the better strategy is to patiently review the material throughout the entire class.

Of course, that is easier said than done. Today’s society makes it difficult to be patient. Everything about our world seems to be focused on making life go by faster – we have faster phones, faster computers, faster cars. At the supermarket, we can go through the fast lane, and fast food has become a stable for most American families. With everything telling us to go, go, go all the time, it can be difficult to practice patience.

However, learning to slow down and enjoy life at a more leisurely speed is critical. College students who find themselves rushing between activities are likely to continue that behavior post-graduation. Their work will suffer, and their families will suffer as they continually try to cram as much as possible into too little time.

Discovering patience is a key component to having a satisfying life. And the earlier one learns this skill, the more you will be able to enjoy what is important to you. By nurturing a patient attitude toward life, you can focus on what is really meaningful instead of filling your time with busy work and emotional clutter. Only then, can you find the inner peace you are seeking.

Zohra Sarwari is one of the nation’s foremost Muslim women speakers. She has been featured at numerous seminars and conferences. Her talks combine humor with the real-world perspective of a Muslim living in America’s Midwest. A published author, Mrs. Sarwari has written extensively on the subjects of tolerance, diversity and the truth behind the Islamic religion. To learn more about Mrs. Sarwari and how she can help you nurture patience, visit www.muslimwomanspeaker.com