May 19, 2011

"HAVE PATIENCE WITH OTHERS!"

How many times do you find yourself becoming irritated and short with other people? Do you find that some people or many people rub you the wrong way? How do you react to these people? Do you snap, yell, or sigh loudly to those who might not be reacting to a situation the same way you might react? Learn to have patience with others!

You never know what other people may be facing in their daily lives. The checkout  operator at the convenience store you stop at in the morning on your way to work may be moving a little slower today, because yesterday she may have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. The man who may be walking up the hallway slower than you like may have hurt his leg yesterday, so it hurts for him to walk quickly. The co-worker who keeps walking out of the room may not be shirking his duties like you may think, but he may be going to the bathroom to hide his tears because his loved one is in the hospital, and the doctors are not sure she will make it. The little boy in your class who keeps staring out the window and who is having a hard time concentrating today, just found out that his dad might die from cancer. The family member who yells at you may have reached a level of frustration that she can no longer take due to dealing with stresses that you know nothing about.

We never know what another person may be dealing with in his or her own personal life, so we need to learn to be patient and kind to everyone we encounter. If someone seems to be having a bad day, maybe, you could be the person to kindly smile and to tell him or her to have a nice day. However, maybe you could take it one step further by telling them what a great job they are doing either at work or with life in general. You might brighten that person's day by allowing them to forget their worries even if for a brief period of time. Be patient with others you never know what kind of battle they may be facing!