On my way to lunch today, I was stopped at a railroad track for a commuter train. On the other side of the track, I noticed a young man on a bike. Didn’t pay much attention to him until I saw the train coming (about 50 yards away) and the young man pick up his bike, go around the guard rail, and run across the track.  As the train passed by, the Conductor and I both watched in disbelief as the young man jumped back on his bike and rode off.

How many times have we put ourselves in harms way because we were impatient—taking shortcuts that were against our better judgment:

     •Burning your mouth on a freshly baked dish that hasn’t cooled off yet.
     •Injuring your muscle by skipping the warm-up before working out.
     •Crashing your car by driving while using a mobile phone.
     •Skipping a safety procedure to finish faster.

That young man who decided to outrun the train to gain 15 seconds of time could have tripped, slipped, or fell on the track. His impatience could have shortened his life. My lesson learned from this young man is to always think twice about what you can potentially lose by being impatient.  It could be your life.