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Pursue patience and be cautious with curiosity

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Patience is not the ability to wait but ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. FILE PHOTO | NMG

A hardworking young farmer realised he could make money to support his family only if he went to a faraway place. He told his newly wedded wife that he would travel far but promised to remain faithful and hoped that she would do so too. His wife promised the same. They tearfully bid each other farewell.

After many days of walking he met a wealthy man who hired him. The young farmer requested that his boss keep all his wages safe until he decides to return home. The boss agreed. The farmer set to work, putting in long, hard days with hardly any rest and no holidays.

After 20 years, he asked the boss to pay him the wages due, so he can go home. The boss gave him two options — either to pay him all the money saved or give him three pieces of advice. For two days, the man pondered then went to his boss saying he chose to take the three pieces of advice.

The boss said, “First, don’t take any shortcuts in life, it can be very costly and may even end your life. Second, don’t be overly curious, as curiosity towards evil will be deadly. And third, never take decisions when angry, as regret could be endless.”

The boss gave him three loaves of bread and said, “The first two loaves are for you to eat on your journey home, and the third is for you to share with your wife when you get there.”

On his way, he met a stranger who advised the farmer to take a shortcut and reach home in five days instead of 20.

The man began to take the shorter route but remembered his boss’ advice, so he turned around and continued on the long route. He later learnt that he had been tricked to walk into an ambush. He decided to spend a night in a nearby shack. He was woken by sharp screams in the middle of the night. He jumped to his feet, curious to see what was happening, but as he went to open the door he remembered his boss’ second piece of advice and went back to bed.

He later learned that a lion had attacked people in the village and he was saved because he did not step out.

Finally, he arrived at his farm and found his wife caressing another man. Filled with anger and hatred, he wanted to kill them. But he remembered the third piece of advice and decided to resolve the issue in the morning.

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Next day he went to his wife and said how disappointed he was seeing her in another man’s arms. The wife explained that she was pregnant at the time he left home and that the man was their son. With that, they joyfully hugged and sat to have the loaf of bread.

When he broke it apart, he found that his boss had given him all the money earned plus a hefty bonus.

Patience is not the ability to wait but ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. Patience, when things are not going right, will help strengthen you to wait for the right things to happen at right time. Every shortcut has a price usually greater than the reward: There is no better route to success than hard work.

You reap what you sow, there is no shortcut. Curiosity can be as dangerous as a butterfly hovering over a flame: Follow your curiosity, but like anything else if curiosity is not in moderation it can lead to difficulties. Decisions in anger are never sound: peace and happiness are destroyed when you make permanent decisions based on temporary feelings.