In today’s world where just about everything brings instant gratification, patience seems to be a lost art. And art it is…for it is an attribute that takes cultivation and focus.

You may be asking yourself, “What does patience have to do with sweepstaking?”

Patience is another key element to becoming a winner, not only at sweepstaking, but at life. If you read the account of successful people, you will usually find there was a period of time between their great idea and the implementation of it. Merriam-Webster defines patience as: not hasty or impetuous, steadfast despite opposition, difficulty or adversity.

Patience is what you want to fine tune in your life because it will eliminate a whole lot of frustration and irritation. Quite frankly, frustration comes from things not going your way within your anticipated time line. This kind of attitude will never do in sweepstaking.

Think about how you go bopping into a grocery store, happy as a clam. You pick out your groceries and then have to wait in line. The woman ahead of you has 75 coupons, decides she wants everything double bagged and then wants to argue with the cashier about the 10¢ she was overcharged for her doughnuts.

Now we have a situation. Little by little, your calm, happy demeanor drains out of you with each coupon that is scanned. Think about it. Haven’t you experienced this before? Have you noticed how quickly life’s circumstances can begin dictating your reactions?

By the time you leave the store, you are tromping on the gas pedal, dodging the elderly man in his walker and just looking for a target. Unfortunately, that is usually your family, who are happily awaiting your arrival home.

Yes, patience is a virtue and one that takes skill to control, but once you do, you become the master over your emotions. You are on your way to becoming a winner!

Sweepstakes are entered one day and winners are usually picked months later. Notification of that win comes weeks later and the actual prize is not held in your hands till weeks or months after being notified. Now all that waiting takes a whole lot of patience.

The secret is …enter those sweepstakes and contests and then go on to the next ones. Don’t expend your energy wondering if you will win, when you will be notified, etc. That is all energy directed at something you have no control over, so why go there? It is better to direct your energy to something that can bring change into your life and that is the next sweepstake or contest.

Brian_Adams said, “Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Sounds like some winning advice to me!

Get the inside scoop on how people are winning all of those sweepstakes and contests, and here's a clue, it's not all luck! Sweepstakes Your Guide to Winning! will give you step-by-step instructions on how to be a winner. To learn more, go to http://www.bellaonline.com/ebooks/ebook160.

To read more from Editor and Author Sandy Lovern, please visit
Sandy Lovern; and Sweepstakes Success