I feel contrite for losing my patience today to someone in my lab. I should have been more patient in explaining things to her. I tried. But I think I did it in a rather bad way because I was in a hurry. On top of that I could feel that she’s expecting more from me. This annoyed me a little because I’d told her one day in advance that I had a class to attend and couldn’t help her out today. I was really shocked when she came up to me all of a sudden telling me that she’s already started the first step of the experiment and needed other things immediately. Anyway, I went through the procedure with her quickly but towards the end I knew I’d lost my patience and she did as well. *sigh*

I think I could have handled the situation better if I didn’t lose my patience. Patience is always an issue we have neglected most of the time. I was reading an article on this aspect just now. Here are some excerpts that I find very meaningful.

“If you compare ourselves with animals, they have much more patience. Human beings are very weak. I asked a doctor once, how long we humans have complained about back-pain. He said humans have had backpain for as long as they have been standing upright!

For eg, the earthworm is very patient. It doesn’t complain if the soil is too wet or too dry! It just continues making holes and helping bring air to the soil.”

"When you go to the hospital, you have to have a lot of patience! I have been here 9 years and recently I was very sick with the flu. I went to the doctor but he could not help me. He said, “Just stay in bed and keep warm. Be patient and the flu will pass!""

“As students you have to study very hard. You will then have to earn money for your family. Afterwards, you may have to carry many heavy loads and greater responsibilities. Then you may even become your own boss. You will be even more important and have an even greater load and responsibility. But having patience will bring you strength. Patience will bring you happiness. Patience will bring you beauty.”

“The ears of the fox in Europe are short whereas the ears of the fox in Africa are long. Why is this? The ears of the fox in Africa are longer to let the heat out. The fox had patience and adapted to its different environment.”

“When winter time comes, the trees must have patience, and animals must have patience and hibernate. They don’t eat, they just stay still. For sure they must get cold, but they still survive. They learn from nature to be patient.”

“Sometimes you put chemicals on ants, and initially they die. But they have patience. After a few years they are patient enough to adapt to the poison and then it doesn’t hurt them any more.”

“When you do a marathon, you have to run 42km, or perhaps you are a good swimming athlete and like to swim in 1500 metre races. You have to have patience to train. They say there’s no gain without pain. Each year those athletes at the Barcelona Olympics have been building up their patience, and training harder and harder. They have the patience to succeed, the patience that brings them strength, the patience that brings them happiness and satisfaction that they are performing well.”

“Sometimes when you wait, you think there is something wrong. Think of the hermit crab. It is like a shrimp, but it takes over a vacant shell, and then carries the shell as its own house to protect itself. If they didn’t have a shell, they would be eaten by all the other sea creatures and birds. The hermit crab can go everywhere, can feed, but it must carry its shell, - its house, on its back. And then it survives!

We should carry our patience around like the hermit crab carries it shell. Our patience will also protect us and help us survive! Please understand that the hermit crab does not live like a parasite, it lives like an orchid.”

I spent some time cogitating on the content of this sophic article. What was mentioned is so so true. I am very thankful to my workmate who made me reflect on myself. I won’t have realized I was so impatient over such small matters though I know patience is never my character.

Next time when I begin to lose my patience, I should pause and remind myself about the beneficial fruits of patience. “Flame of anger causes ugliness; patience brings beauty.” Eh, I don't think anyone especially girls will prefer ugliness than beauty, right?