‘Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast ‘- Shakespeare

My grandmother most probably had not read Shakespeare but she always said the same thing to me. Don’t rush, you will fall. Any work done with patience turns out to be good.  She would dice onions as if she was painting. Each time the knife came down in almost a musical note and each piece of onion was the same size. She would make chapatis like she was creating a symphony and each roti was exactly the same size and thinness. But I was always in a hurry. What can you expect from a ten-year-old girl? She has to explore the world around her. She has to run, she doesn’t have time to walk.

But as I grew I realized how much profound wisdom was hidden in these words. And I learned it the hard way. I am still in a hurry most times, nit panicked but it is difficult for me to walk slowly, work slowly. I talk fast but since I have been on radio and stage for a long time, I have learned to modulate my voice and my diction is very clear both in English and Hindi.

That besides, it is a fact that if we do things with patience, we are bound to make less mistakes and the work done is neater and we also feel confident rather than feeling harried and tense. Hurrying makes your brain pump adrenaline into your body and body then has to work extra hard to absorb that adrenaline. So your heart rate goes up, you blood pressure goes up, your stomach produces bile and you feel acetic. All this, to what end?

They say stop and smell the roses. We have forgotten how work can be a pleasure too in our race to success. People are getting heart attacks in their thirties, strokes and hypertension have become household terms and pills are eaten more regularly than meals. And the work for which we torture our body and mind is still not excellent.

So just take out ten minutes in the morning to do nothing. Yes do nothing. Try to empty your mind. Play some nice music may be but just sit still. This will give you the strength to face your day in a calm and relaxed manner.

So be it!!!