Be Patient ...

While as a society we are conditioned to be quick and efficient in getting things done; on a personal basis, I think we have to learn to be patient with ourselves and more so with others in our family, our learning place, our workplace and even at social places.

Being patient with ourselves is important because not all things can be done instantly, some would take much longer time to complete, and as a result, we might have to go through a long and sometimes, tedious process or procedure before finally achieving the intended results. Going through the process one step at a time, needs great patience especially when no shortcut is possible.

Being patient with others allows us to build and maintain an amicable relationship with people around us. People will find joy working with us as we allow others room to make corrections and adjustments when something does not turn out the way it should be.

While it might sound hard to be patient for some, but it is not impossible for us to learn to be patient. Occasionally falling sick and resting in bed as a patient might not be a bad idea to learn patience.

In the Hokkien dialect, patience is termed "Toon Loon" and it suggests ''to swallow and hang on''. The next time before you start venting your anger or scolding someone, try to salivate, hold your saliva for a moment before you swallow it, you will break the ''momentum'' of your scolding action. It works! I know you are trying it now!