Testing the Willpower

Testing the willpower of four year olds
A man placed a treat before each
If they waited fifteen minutes, they were told
A second would be placed within reach

Thirty percent were able to wait
For they anticipated having more
The rest, hungry on impulse, just ate
Losing the bigger reward that was in store

The man tracked the children through adulthood
He found a pattern that shocked
Those with patience understood
The path of happiness to walk

Those able to delay gratification
Had healthier relationships and were motivated
They worked harder for their education
As for a higher income they aimed and waited

Patience is a purifying process
That helps us reach for that which we yearn
For it deepens us to possess
The tenacity to work and learn

Patience isn't merely waiting
It is steady and consistent effort
With wants and needs separating
While not being self-absorbed for comfort

As a parent what does this mean?
To indulge children, would this be wise?
With the broader picture now seen
Teach them what gratification denies

What about your mother and father?
Shall He give us everything we ask for?
Struggling builds patience and character
And refines us with faith, trust, and more...

Continue in Patience
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Continue in Patience
Ensign, May 2010, 56