Waiting

In February 2019, I had applied for a job that ended up being a 3-month long interview process.  I had taken a major step toward the person I wanted to be, but then was stuck waiting. During that time I learned that waiting should never be the primary thing in our lives. It is something passive, something that happens in the background while we are living. Waiting to see if you got the job… if the lab results are negative… if you got into college… if that cute guy is going to call you back… waiting for those 3 text message dots to turn into the response you're hoping for. One of the worst things you can do is pour out your soul to someone then sit there and stare at those 3 dots appear and disappear half a dozen times... It will drive you crazy. Unfortunately, life can often feel like those 3 dots. Stuck in that moment of anxiety, completely focused on what might come next that you forget where you are right now.

When you take big steps or start to go after long-term goals, waiting will always be a part of the game, just don’t let it be an excuse that keeps you from moving forward. The dictionary defines waiting as… (I know, I can't believe I just said that, it's like the start to a bad a wedding toast but shut up, it's good, so just listen)… "the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or event."

Don't delay action, because that thing that you're waiting for, it'll happen or it won't. So stop checking your email, stop checking your texts, and get out there and live. You've got the timer set, you'll know when it's ready but sitting there watching that water gain kinetic energy isn't adding anything to your life. It'll boil when it boils. In fact, the phrase a watched pot never boils bothers me. In a weird way it makes it still seem like you have some control over the situation. That all you have to do is look the other way and then your water will finally boil. But that's not true. You can watch it. You can watch it all you want and it will boil, you'll just be missing out on a lot while you're doing it. So don't let waiting steal the show. It doesn't belong in the spotlight. You do.

For more on my story of what that waiting time was like, check out this article: What Waiting Looks Like and Why It’s Worth It.