Patience is an attribute most of us admire in others and wish we had more of. Every day there are countless opportunities to practice patience. Whether we are driving, waiting in line, or are served by someone who moves or reacts slower than we would like, we have a choice whether or not we practice patience.

We, alone, are responsible for our choice. Yes, regardless of our situation, that means our response is up to us. If we are rushing and someone takes their time, and we are rushed, our verbal AND our non-verbal language indicates not only how we feel inside, but also, how we feel about the other person.

Of course, there are many situations where we feel our patience is tested. But how we react, if we roll our eyes, exhale in audible frustration, raise our voice, or spew an insult, is a reflection of who WE are, NOT who the other person is. WE are each responsible for our own behavior.

Take Time To Notice

Over time, we may take for granted qualities that we value in others. We can change our relationships when we become conscious of noticing these qualities. After we notice we can remind ourselves to select ONE thing that we appreciate or admire about someone who is close to us. We can find ways to tell them; specifically, how much a particular attribute or characteristic means to us, why we value it, or how it influences us.

When we notice and then share such observations directly with the person, it accentuates our appreciation of them and their contribution to our lives or the lives of others.

As friends, we support people we care about with encouragement, empathy, and enthusiasm.

We remind our partners of their worth, their talent, their ability to take risks and achieve their goals.

As parents we help our children discover their strengths as we encourage them to develop interests, passions, and expertise in those areas.

As adult children of aging parents we focus on fostering independence and maintaining dignity as their abilities and confidence decline.

We nourish others.

How do we nourish ourselves? When we discover something that brings joy to our own lives, we can make a concerted effort to include it, make a space for it, revisit it, for no other reason than this: IT NURTURES US and this is reason enough. Our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health can be compromised when we neglect finding our own "nourishment."

Here are additional tips to consider:

We can give ourselves 15 minutes of undivided attention everyday.

We can allow ourselves permission to feel all our feelings without judgment of them.

We can declutter our personal space and create room for new energy.

We can be conscious of the harvest of our lives. As we think about ourselves, our relationships, and our work we can review the parts of our lives that are "bearing fruit."

TODAY Show (NBC).
Dr. Atkins is a frequent contributor.

Please check website, www.drdaleatkins.com, for updated appearances.

JumpStart Friend Raiser Event at THEORY in Greenwich featuring the art of Janet Slom
Nov 14th, 5-8PM
Theory, Winston Flowers, Moffly Media, and artist, Janet Slom, have teamed up to create a night to remember. Fashion, Flowers and Art will join to inspire a spirit of generosity and giving. A portion of the evening's proceeds will be donated to JumpStart in order to help pre-school, low-income children develop the language and literacy skills they will need to succeed.
396 Greenwich Ave Greenwich, CT.

I hope you enjoy my recently released chapter, "Family Involvement and Counseling," in the new text, Introduction to Aural Rehabilitation, Second Edition. Edited by Raymond H. Hull, and published by Plural Publishing.

I invite you to visit my website to access archives of articles and interviews on line.

My sincere thanks to website developer, Barry Brothers, who, along with Carina Ramirez Cahan, brought vision and positive, creative energy to the site. Do take a look at Barry's work here: http://www.thelimulusgroup.com/bb and consider him for your business, development, design and communication needs.

SANITY SAVERS: Tips for Women to Live A Balanced Life is filled with suggestions to save your sanity every day of the year.

A must for any woman seeking to find her balance!

Once again thank you for continuing to read and talk about Sanity Savers: Tips for Women to Live a Balanced Life.

WE CAN ALL ADDRESS THE LITERACY CRISIS IN THIS COUNTRY. Jumpstart is a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students and community corps members to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods in year-long mentoring relationships. Jumpstart also partners with families, preschool centers, institutions of higher education, community groups and a variety of other groups and individuals to make certain that every stakeholder in a child's life is working to provide them with a high quality early education.

Jumpstart's proven curriculum helps children develop the language, literacy, and socio-emotional skills they need to be ready for school, setting them on a path to close the achievement gap before it is too late.

Please help to spread the word about the mission of Jumpstart and the remarkable strides being made in low income neighborhoods every day. If you can, contribute by clicking on www.jstart.org/donate www.jstart.org/donate. Over one million children live below the poverty level in the U.S. This shameful situation must change. Each of us has a responsibility to repair our world. Let us eliminate the 2-year achievement gap that exists between children from low income and those from middle income neighborhoods when they begin kindergarten!

Visit www.jstart.org to learn more about Jumpstart initiatives - such as Scribbles to Novels - May 10, 2014, We Give Books, and Read for the Record.

"Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better."

Albert Einstein