The patience and impatience paradox

A man goes to the doctor with a swollen foot. After a careful examination, the doctor gives the man a pill big enough to choke a horse.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

"I'll be right back with some water," the doctor tells him.

The doctor has been gone for a while, and the man loses patience. He hobbles out to the drinking fountain, forces the pill down his throat, and gobbles down water until the pill clears his throat. He hobbles back into the examining room. Just then, the doctor comes back with a bucket of warm water.

"Ok, after the tablet dissolves, soak that foot for about 20 minutes."

People who know me and have worked with me understand this paradox: I am incredibly patient and intensely impatient. I am patient when my team members make mistakes—it's part of the learning process. However, I have little tolerance for repeated errors or unnecessary delays in completing tasks that require immediate attention.

My entire life journey can be summed up with a simple philosophy: If it needs to be done, why not do it right away? By acting promptly, I can clear tasks off my plate and focus on what's next.

This principle extends to everything I do. I respond to messages, emails and inquiries quickly because I don't particularly appreciate making people wait. It also influences how I approach events and engagements—I always arrive early and thoroughly prepared.