Everyone knows that during the month of December lines can be long and traffic miserable. Even knowing that, we sometimes forget to bring patience along with us. We forget to allow extra time for traveling or waiting in line. More than that, we forget that everyone has their own agenda – a place to be and things to buy.
We all have somewhere else we’d rather be than waiting in line. It doesn’t matter if it is the line at the grocery store, the mall, the TSA security line we all have a time clock ticking away in our heads.
What to do, how to handle this gracefully?
Here are my suggestions.
1. Pack your patience and don’t forget grace! If someone is being short-tempered, put yourself in their shoes.
2. Grace Give people you encounter the grace of understanding. Maybe they have not allowed as much extra time as you have. Maybe the clerk at the check-out counter is having a hard day with lots of customers in a hurry.
3. Remember to Breathe practice inhaling and exhaling. Focusing your attention on your breath – the inhale and exhale – has a calming effect and will take your mind off of waiting in line.
4. Smile Look at the person facing you, connect with them and smile. A smile is a wonderful, warm greeting. It relaxes the tension in your face. It also gives you and the person receiving the smile a good feeling. Share smiles.
5. Be Kind Kindness costs you nothing and the blessings you receive are endless.
Here are 5 simple, free, examples of ways to show kindness
1.Hold the door open for the person coming behind you.
2. Give a friend a compliment
3. Let a car in front of you
4. Let a person cut the line in front of you – particularly if they have children with them!
5. Smile!
I bet if you put your mind to it, you could think of other ways to show kindness.
Remember as you go about your days to bring patience, grace and kindness along with you.
