Hurry Up And Be Your Best Self Already! World Peace Can Wait. Wish For World Patience. (Part 2)

OK, tell me you’ve been here before.

You’re standing in line at the grocery store and the person in front of you is taking forever. Making small talk with the cashier AND writing a check!

Or, you’re stuck driving behind the person who’s seemingly going five miles an hour. And you’re already running late!

Ouch! Has there ever been a time when you’ve needed more patience with others?

Last week, in part one, I talked about developing more patience with ourselves. This week, I want to talk about something equally as important – developing more patience with others.

And, as painful as the above scenarios are, I’m not necessarily talking about being more patient with what people do. I’m talking about being more patient with who people are.

When it comes to others, choose patience over perfection.

It’s like my late grandmother on my mom’s side (Nana) said, “If you look hard enough, you can find something wrong with everyone.”

My nana was tough, but she was wise. She understood that it was easy (and often our default position) to focus on someone’s negatives before recognizing their positives. And I can just hear her say, in her typical feisty Southern drawl, “That’s the easy way out.“

To judge a person by their weakest attribute is like judging the power of the ocean by one wave. ~ Elvis Presley

How many of us − when we meet someone new who’s “out of the ordinary” in some way or when we look at people we already know who may have, like all of us do, a few insecurities or “developmentals” − are rushing to judgment rather than to acceptance?

It happens to the best of us.

Yes, we’re all busy. Yes, we’re all in a hurry. But what do we have to lose other than a little time and a lot of heart to give people the time they need to be themselves?

There’s something special in every person if you’re patient enough to see it. Like, watch this special performance by Katy Perry and a young girl with autism. If we’re impatient, we turn it off because the vocals aren’t completely perfect.

If we’re patient, we stay tuned to see something truly special.

So, when you’re deciding whether to tune in or tune out (or to be more or less patient with someone), just ask yourself, “What would my nana do?”

Chances are, she’d realize that you don’t always see all of someone right away, but if you give them a little time, you’ll see someone wonderful with lots of great gifts to share.

Now, it’s your turn! Share with me in the comments below:

1. Have you ever felt like someone wrote you off too quickly? How did that make you feel?

2. What advice do you have for others on how to be more patient with other people?

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