Stop saying "Take your time!"

[](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUjFoQXPHNt9xEcD-OQ2RHUs7jWBsCvYHJGgPbBBdLw4D7bW7Cx JhNQ9_BF4wSb3B0HFEzGS7Y06uRYjZjH_WtHy9SIUPaV5GKaDBDXEUrSbHlB3unjLoHG9lfGteAzDV-QWPp7yfZYj8/s1600/take+your+time.jpg)

The habit of arriving early

I hate wasting time, so I hate being late.

If I have an appointment with a friend, I usually arrive early at the meeting place agreed upon by both parties (such as a coffee shop, bookstore, etc.), then I take out my mobile phone and send the following message to the other party:

“I’m here, take your time!”

After sending the message, I will turn on the computer and do my work, or take out the book I carry with me from my backpack and start reading.

Reflection brought by a message

It just so happened that I had an appointment with a friend this afternoon. Due to the long distance between the two places and the unfavorable weather, there was a sudden heavy downpour, which prevented me from arriving at my destination early. Half an hour before the appointed time, I suddenly received a message from a friend on LINE. Yes, it’s the phrase “Take your time!”

This is undoubtedly a thoughtful word, and it also resolves my possible embarrassment of being late. But the moment I saw the message, I was suddenly shocked - it turned out that what I thought was a “considerate” behavior before had probably unintentionally caused a burden to others.

The subtext behind the words

Ask yourself, does the subtext of the phrase “Take your time!” mean something like “I’m already here, don’t make me wait too long!”? Looking back on the past, I often said to my friends, “Take your time!” Although the intention was good, did it lead to a vague sense of self-righteousness and arrogance?

Sitting on the bus, looking at the heavy rain outside the window, I couldn’t help but feel frightened. I also repeatedly thought of the past gatherings with different friends.

A valuable lesson learned

Well, I was five minutes late for this afternoon appointment today. Thank you to my friend for your tolerance and giving me the opportunity to self-examine. Seriously, I learned a valuable lesson.

In the future, I will pay special attention to time management, but what I need to be more careful about is… less “Take your time!” If you want to let people know that you have arrived at your destination, you can at least wait until five minutes before the appointed time before sending the message. This will not only allow your friends to be more relaxed and not have to rush to the appointment, but also leave some room for each other.

★ Photo Credit: Andy Beales

---