Of the difference between restlessnessand impatience

 

 

 

OF COURSE, both terms are vastly different -- in dictionary and in life. Restlessness points to an eager spirit all geared up to forge ahead, do things, keep moving, keep dreaming big! Impatience points to a disturbed spirit for whom waiting logically for anything is an anathema. While restlessness is often described as a positive virtue of a person raring to go, impatience is described as an attribute of a mentally sick person. While restlessness is constructive, impatience is destructive in nature. This difference is really big and stark -- and even dark ! During the week that passed, the loud-thinker came across two distinct models of both, offering two altogether different personality traits. The loud-thinker met a young professional -- about 27-28 years of age trying to make sense out of a sudden wave of multiple personal difficulties -- in career and personal life. In the large business organisation where he worked in the finance department, this young man was being ragged by a couple of seniors who appeared to have made it their mission to throw our protagonist out on whatever pretext possible.

 

 

At home, the young man had a family elder critically ill for several weeks (which claimed a lot of money in medical treatment). His marriage to his close friend since college days had to be postponed to a future date for some genuine reasons (which he did not dispute or contest). And to make matter still worse, a loaded pick-up van ran over his motorcycle parked safely by the road side when he was away in a nearby shop to buy medicine for somebody in the family. The repair was going to take some days, and quite some money (which the fellow had been running short of). All problems together -- testing the young fellow’s patience and tenacity and faith in himself. When the loud-thinker knew of the young man’s complex problems, he sympathised and wondered if he could be of any help. The young fellow replied: “Thank you Sir. But I am sure, I will manage things on my own -- one by one, slowly, patiently. Gods are testing me -- and I will pass each test well. I know, after a dark and long night, the dawn arrives. I will wait long enough for the problems to lose their steam.”

 

His voice was calm and confident. He knew, life was dragging him on coals and he must endure that patch. And then he started talking about his plans for professional career, personal life, eventually building a bigger home for the family where his new bride would also come in at right time ... ! He knew, he had all the good attributes to succeed in life -- which he would eventually do when he would outlast problems. What a great picture of confidence in self -- and faith in Destiny’s eventual blessings ! He appeared physically fit and mentally all eager to move on as soon as he could, but had enough patience to give life time for course-correction ! Once the problem phase would be over, he would bounce back in all vigour and power to start achieving his professional and personal dreams ! THE other example the loud-thinker came across was also of a young (of around the same age as the earlier person) but essentially impatient fellow. He, too, had a job and a mobike and a house that his father built and a friend he had been dating for some time. But he showed no patience for things to turn out in his favour.

 

He blamed everything -- his job, his employer, his family -- and even his friend he hoped to get married with at whatever time. He rode his mobike at break-neck speed all the time, risking his own life and that of others on the road. In the past few months, he had crashed into other vehicles at least thrice -- hurting himself and having his mobike damaged severely. The loud-thinker counselled this person to be patient and take everything in its own stride and not push things beyond a decent limit. The moment he heard the word of advice, this young man exploded in anger. “Sir, don’t tell me all that muck. I have no time and patience for all that”. Taken aback, the loud-thinker asked him how old he was. Twenty-seven, he growled. The loud-thinker said patiently, “Look young man, at 27 you have no time at hand. I am 75 -- and I have all the time in the world, and I am cruising at a brisk pace professionally and personally. Do you understand?” Our impatient protagonist jumped on his mobike, kicked the machine to a start, and roared off -- leaving behind a cloud of dust. What a difference -- between the two !