"REACTING IN ANGER OR ANNOYANCE WILL NOT ADVANCE ONE'S ABILITY TO PERSUADE.”
- RUTH BADER GINSBERG

The other day, I had a situation at work that required me to listen to my body and to have patience. My co-worker and friend was expressing her fears and concerns about our project. It was 4:45pm on Friday, my mouth felt dry and I didn't eat lunch. I felt hungry, exasperated and now worried. We all work remotely, so I sat at my computer turned on Google Meet to wait for my friend to appear.

PA·TIENCE NOUN
”THE CAPACITY TO ACCEPT OR TOLERATE DELAY, TROUBLE, OR SUFFERING WITHOUT GETTING ANGRY OR UPSET.” MIDDLE ENGLISH: FROM OLD FRENCH, FROM LATIN PATIENTIA, FROM PATIENT- ‘SUFFERING’, FROM THE VERB PATi.

I immediately tried to pay attention to my body how I felt - tired, hungry and thirsty. I know she felt scared and concerned, so I used the energy I had to listen. Then, I recapped them to her, apologized and asked her to forgive me. I also asked in actions what I needed, which is “can she come to the next meeting so we can stay connected?” She replied with a very solid yes and I felt relieved that she also apologized for not keeping us updated. After our discussion she wanted to continue to chat, but again I listened to my body and it was a tired body! So, instead of saying yes I said no to my friend, wished her a happy long weekend and thanked her for connecting.

It’s not always easy to listen to our bodies at work especially during times of high stress. Relationships are so tender and important. It’s what connects us all. I’m so glad that I was able to listen to my body, stay calm and connect with my friend.

Relationships and Listening to the Body

"REACTING IN ANGER OR ANNOYANCE WILL NOT ADVANCE ONE'S ABILITY TO PERSUADE.”
- RUTH BADER GINSBERG

PA·TIENCE NOUN
”THE CAPACITY TO ACCEPT OR TOLERATE DELAY, TROUBLE, OR SUFFERING WITHOUT GETTING ANGRY OR UPSET.” MIDDLE ENGLISH: FROM OLD FRENCH, FROM LATIN PATIENTIA, FROM PATIENT- ‘SUFFERING’, FROM THE VERB PATi.

Relationships and Listening to the Body

"REACTING IN ANGER OR ANNOYANCE WILL NOT ADVANCE ONE'S ABILITY TO PERSUADE.”- RUTH BADER GINSBERG

PA·TIENCE NOUN”THE CAPACITY TO ACCEPT OR TOLERATE DELAY, TROUBLE, OR SUFFERING WITHOUT GETTING ANGRY OR UPSET.” MIDDLE ENGLISH: FROM OLD FRENCH, FROM LATIN PATIENTIA, FROM PATIENT- ‘SUFFERING’, FROM THE VERB PATi.

"REACTING IN ANGER OR ANNOYANCE WILL NOT ADVANCE ONE'S ABILITY TO PERSUADE.”
- RUTH BADER GINSBERG

PA·TIENCE NOUN
”THE CAPACITY TO ACCEPT OR TOLERATE DELAY, TROUBLE, OR SUFFERING WITHOUT GETTING ANGRY OR UPSET.” MIDDLE ENGLISH: FROM OLD FRENCH, FROM LATIN PATIENTIA, FROM PATIENT- ‘SUFFERING’, FROM THE VERB PATi.