As a society that has goals and needs, we all understand the virtue of patience. Whether it was as a kid and your parents told you to wait for dessert or you had enough money to buy something you wanted. We can all relate to the patience that we needed to receive these things, however we are living in a society that is becoming more prone to receiving instant gratification, patience can be a tough thing to swallow. Whether it's mental, physical, or emotional gratification, it is always more pleasing to be able to receive these feelings sooner rather than later. Patience however, is one of the most important, and arguably noble, things that can be practiced. Whether its working and saving your money for your dream, working out issues with your significant other for the sake of making your relationship better, or sacrificing hours of leisure time to study for your finals, it helps you recognize what are your priorities in life and what things truly matter to you. We all have goals we want to accomplish in the world, and many of us have goals that we want to seek. While instant gratification is becoming easier and easier, patience is beginning to slip in its importance.

The truth about me is, is that I am a man who enjoys instant gratification as much as the next person. I love watching a good action movie or video game that gets my blood pumping, a good workout that gives me physical gratification instantaneously, or giving to someone in need to satisfy emotional feelings. I am someone, who at times, is incredibly impatient and often times stubborn to get what I want. I'm a athlete in track who wants as badly as anyone to be the best at my sport, I'm a student who wants to make the Dean's list and to graduate with a high G.P.A., and a man who wants to one day find the women who he wants to spend the rest of his life with. I often times find that I wish all these things would just come to me instantly, and that I could get by with the work I am currently putting in now.

I realize though, that I am never guaranteed to have any of these things, and that I will have to work harder than I've ever had to in my life to accomplish the very the things that I want to have. I realize through my physical, emotional, and mental pain that anything worthwhile never comes easily. Currently as I am writing this article , I don't have nice house, car, girlfriend, etc. and I still have a lot of ground to prove as athlete, student, and musician(I play trombone if there is any confusion). This is designed to be knack on myself or anything, but rather an evaluation of where I am at right now. I seek to live a challenging life that doesn't come easily, and I don't want to have to settle for anything less than what I want. I realize that to get what I want, I have to be patient about the result. I have to break my desire for instant gratification, and find the gratification in working towards the very dreams I envision for myself. I've always heard that you have to fall in love with the process before you can get the results, and that the results never happen the way you imagine it would be. I can honestly say that the results I've produce so far in my life has landed me in place I never thought I would be, and has humbled me and helped me at the same time.

The bottom line is, big dreams don't happen instantly. Very few successful people, regardless of whether its the fashion, business, or sports, get to the level they are at without having to wait for their work to payoff. Not everyone, in fact, gets to actually see their dreams live to play out, and a lot of people are forced to settle for less during their lifetimes. The truth about instant gratification that is hidden in society, is that it is an addiction that will satisfy minimally. Whether its instant sex, money or power, it will always serve as a temporary solution to a long-term issue. Therefore, I urge that you go into your holidays with the willingness to wait for your dreams . Whether its finding that significant other, accomplishing that dream job, or laying off the potato chips, don't expect that is going to happen instantaneously. Look to follow in love with the process of following your dreams, and follow the results to where they are. You never know where your life can land, and you never know how far your dreams will take you unless you are willing to wait for them.