Traffic doesn't move any faster if you lay on your horn.

I went out to eat with some people the other day and we ordered our food. About 15 minutes had passed and one person I was with started to get impatient that their food wasn't here yet. And it got me thinking-- you cannot cook 3 different meals for three different people in 15 minutes when you are at home-- so what makes us think that they can do it that fast in a restaurant?

Which had me thinking about the bigger picture. As Americans, we are very impatient. We are always striving for bigger, better, stronger, and faster-- we want instant gratification and when we do not have our full three course meal in 12 minutes we start to freak out. Or when we have to stand in a line longer than three people long we start to let out sighs, make remarks to the other people in line in hopes to get some agreement, and we stand with annoyed posture to try and give the other employees a not-so-subtle indication that we want another register open. We get annoyed with the cashier when they make a small mistake, or yell at the pharmacist that has the "pleasure" of telling us that our insurance company won't pay for a refill until Saturday.

I am a fairly patient person, but I feel like I am an exception rather than the rule because I see the people around me. I see their postures and hear their chide comments.

Or I hear the cashier apologize four or five times when the credit card machine restarts itself. Or I see that expecting-the-worst face when the pharmacist says that my insurance company won't pay for my prescription for another two days. But I also see that wave of relief wash over their face when I say, "No, you're fine!" and then followed by a "Have a nice day!" when my transaction is complete.

I may not know a lot with only 21 years under my belt, but here is what I do know:

You are not better than the janitor or the cashier.

You are not entitled to anything.

Just because someone else is cooking does not mean that our food is going to be done in 5 minutes.

A line of five people will NOT kill you.

A smile will not damage your face.

A delayed payment by insurance is not the pharmacists problem. Don't shoot the messenger.

Being nice to someone doesn't take anymore time out of your day than being mean to someone.

We seek connection from others as people.

Eating a meal without looking at your cell phone isn't going to kill you. And neither will a walk without headphones.

A smile uses less muscles than a frown.

People love getting random surprises-- don't be afraid to buy someone a gift just because they cross your mind.

What you give is what you get.

Just because society thinks that "resting bitch face" is cool doesn't mean that you can't smile.

Traffic doesn't move any faster if you lay on your horn. Take that time to listen to your favorite song. Or to jam out to some Taylor Swift!

Rain won't stop just because you complain that you want sun.

Someone who is nice to you, but mean to the waiter, is not a nice person.

Even the offenders need a listening ear, the love of Jesus, and rehabilitation.



I could go on and on, but you get the point.


What happened to patience being a virtue? Just because it is a virtue does not mean that we should not be working to obtain that virtue. Why is southern hospitality reserved for only the south? Show other people some love. Be kind when the whole world is throwing shade every direction. And open your heart to others-- when you put a cage around your heart, you may keep that pain out, but you also keep the love out.