I realize this will not come as a shocking revelation to those that know me, but I’m weird.

Today’s example is related to my patience level. I am incredibly patient with many things. For one, my grandkids. I have almost unlimited patience with them. With friends, I have nothing but time. When we travel to Haiti, I know that there will always be travel or logistical or cultural things that will create waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

But there are too many things I have zero point zero patience with —-

Waiting in line. Inevitably I switch lines and predictably something happens in the new line. I’ve been known to switch lines several times, in order to ultimately pick a line where they can’t find a price or they need manager approval or the cashier and customer decide that today is a good day to catch up on their lives. My ultimate favorite is waiting in line at a fast food restaurant and the people wait until they get to the front of the line to look over the menu. It’s McDonald’s for God’s sake.

I arranged for service for my lawn tractor. I hadn’t heard from them, so made arrangements with another repair place. The new place said they could get my tractor in the following week, so I cancelled the original service. Of course, the person that promised next week wasn’t the service scheduler and now I will wait three weeks. Lost my place in line with service place number one and everyone else is slammed. Worked out well, didn’t it?

Driving. Don’t get me started.

When I’m busy and someone comes to my office, I catch myself being distracted, looking away, or checking my email. Even though the drop-in deserves my full attention.

In the end, my life is not so full that two minutes changes the trajectory of my day. No one dies if the family can’t decide between a cheeseburger or chicken sandwich. Actually driving the speed limit is safer than my impatience.

I leave myself with this —

Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting. Joyce Meyer

What good has impatience ever brought? It has only served as the mother of mistakes and the father of irritation. Steve Maraboli