One of my big challenges for this year is to be more patient with my children.

One of my kids is a wonderful boy with a sweet streak, but he is also extremely energetic and impulsive. I start every day striving to be patient, but too often I get frustrated with his behavior and start nagging/punishing.

In addition to being more understanding with my delightful boy, I want to be more patient with my own “inner child” this year. As a person who struggles with low self-esteem, I get impatient if I don’t achieve immediate results and often I find myself lacking: in good deeds, Torah learning, Hebrew fluency, etc.

I’m going to try the following meditation to become more patient and relaxed in the moment.  The Hebrew word for patience is “savlanoot” (pronounced sahv-lah-noot). Every morning (before my children arise) for at least the coming week, I am going to sit quietly and breathe deeply for ten minutes. I’ll inhale, and then during my exhale I’ll softly say, “savlanoot,” breaking it up rhythmically into three syllables: sav…la…noot.

Hopefully this meditation will help me become more relaxed overall, which will help me respond positively during stressful moments. But the main goal is that if I really focus in on this word, I’ll remember to embody it as a value when I most need it.

And if not, I’ll have to make an effort to continue being patient with myself. Please try out the meditation and let me know if it works for you.