Rush, rush, rush, get there faster, make more money, and multitask... All an attempt to achieve more, do more... what about be more?
My grandmother used to say "all in due time." What is due time? And when it happens, how do we know? I am not the most patient person, although I have learned to embrace the circumstances.
We have just finished out 6th Fabulous@50 tradeshow here in Edmonton, and every year the line up grows longer. There are grumbles of course, and then there are the ladies who enjoy meeting the people around them. It is all in your attitude. I recently had to stand in a long line at a tire place. I showed up a little later than I should of and thought, crap, maybe I should go home. It was my fault for delaying the winter tire exchange, but yet the thought of standing in line was not a desirable one. But in I went, and before I knew I was talking to the lady in front of me. We joked about grabbing some tires and sitting in them, making a chair like in the commercials and maybe rolling them around for fun. Before I knew It, I was at the desk, and quickly was released into the frigid weather.
Another great saying is "patience is a virtue". Tell that to the guy who is standing in line at Canada Post during Christmas, with a parcel that should have been mailed weeks before. I have been there. Let's be accountable, the people that work for Canada Post didn't force you to come late and then decide to be nasty and charge you lots of money. That would be you who did that.
I was involved in an incident last year at the post office that was really disturbing, and what happened really gave me hope. There was a very unhappy and extremely rude man who was being verbally abusive to the staff, the ladies in the line starting joking about how bad it was. We all tried to lighten up the environment, but eventually it got out of hand, and we all stood up to this man and finally he gave up and left. After I got though the line and mailed off my letters, I went and purchased some water and some snacks for the poor guy working by himself, because someone called in sick. He handled the whole situation with so much patience, I felt it was the least I could do. The funny thing was, when I left the store the rude man was outside still pleading his case. I felt sorry for him at that moment, because he still could not see that he was responsible for the incident. One part of me wanted to go over and give him a talking to and another just wanted to help him. I am sure neither would have been welcomed.
Being patient with ourselves is the toughest challenge. I have just started to really focus on speaking, and I want to be really good at it. But like many things in life, it is just time and practice. It could take me years to get to that point, and I am okay with that. What a great story it will be. I hope you can all be patient with me as I learn.
It is so easy to criticize, condemn and complain about others and beat ourselves up. The lesson I relearn every time someone sends this energy to me is to be kind, considerate and understanding. It is hard sometimes, because I feel hurt, but the practice of not taking things personal takes patience too.
This Christmas season be generous with your heart, be patient, be understanding, let the lady in a hurry in the line-up go, smile when they frown, this is worth more than you will every imagine.
Dianna Bowes is the founder of Fabulous@50 and the editor of Be Fabulous! Magazine.
Dianna was the winner of the 2011 YWCA Women of Distinction Award in the Turning Point category and the 2014 Leader of Tomorrow Business Award. She is a creative soul, who loves connecting people and embracing life. Travel, great food, family, friends and a long bike ride on a sunny day is her definition of great life.