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When wisdom lies in being patient and keeping silent

storm

Stop trying to calm the storm, calm yourself, the storm will pass. FILE PHOTO | NMG

A man noticed a pretty looking young lady in the grocery store with her sweet looking one-year-old in her cart. As the mother and child duo passed through the aisles of the grocery store, the child asked for cookies. Her mother had a stern look on her face but softly told the kid “No.” Now, the little girl began to cry loudly.

The mother patiently said, “Now, Missy, we’re halfway done. It won’t be too long before we are done with this.”

The same thing happened in the candy aisle. This time the little girl kicked and screamed. The mother said, “There, there, Missy, only two more aisles and then we’ll be done.” Saying this, the mother pushed her cart towards the Checkout counter. At the checkout counter, the child reached for the gum. When her mom said “No” she began to scream louder than ever.

The mother said patiently, “Missy, we’ll be through this checkout stand in five minutes and then we can go home, and then can have a nice nap.”

The man followed them out to the parking lot and complimented the woman. “I couldn’t help noticing how patient you were with little Missy.” The mother replied, “Thank you, but, my little girl is Francine…., I’m Missy.”

A moment of patience in a moment of anger can save a thousand moments of regret: How many times in our lives do we make those momentary decisions, acting out in the heat of the moment, regretting later for the harm caused to self or to others?

When you are upset or angry, resist the temptation of reacting or responding, you could save yourself a thousand moments of regret.

The hardest test in life is the patience to wait for the right moment: Patience is not about doing nothing, it is about doing everything you can, but being patient about the results. A lot in life is not just about the end but is the process of achieving and waiting for the right moment to see the result.

Sometimes patience and silence are better than expressing how you feel: Most of us feel the urge to express our disappointment by venting it out without really worrying about the consequences. Most often such expression does not work in our favour. Practice restraint and remain silent till the storm clears.

Stop trying to calm the storm, calm yourself, the storm will pass: Focus on what is in your control rather than trying to focus on what is beyond your control. When you calm the storm inside, you can see the sun shining again and you raising again.

When you treat feelings like your visitors, who come and go, you can really focus on yourself: Don’t allow your feelings or emotions take over who you are and never let your emotions overpower your mind.