Waiting can be absolutely frustrating, discouraging and INFURIATING! It doesn’t matter what kind of waiting, waiting at the bus stop, in a long line at the grocery store, waiting for the baby to be born or even waiting for someone who talks slowly to finish their thought. The simple act of waiting drive us nuts!
We don’t care why it happens, we just want the waiting to be over and the doing to start!!! I’m with you, I completely understand where you’re coming from on this one. For example, this morning I was at a bus stop and the dark clouds were rolling in, the bus was late and I was getting more anxious and more frustrated by the minute! (More on this a bit later…)
When we find ourselves frustrated or angry because we’re waiting for something or for somebody, take a breath, step back and look around. When we’re doing this, we force ourself to come back into the present. When we’re angry about waiting, we’re basically attempting to be in the future!
THAT CAN’T HAPPEN!
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE!
To find our way back to the now, find something, anything to appreciate. Then find another. Then find another and another. (If you’re in the grocery store see and appreciate the smile on a child’s face, the stacks of a new product, the checker at the counter, your breath, the pitch of the beep that happens when something is scanned on your lane and the others in the store, the floor, the ceiling, what’s happening out the window, anything and everything! Find SOMETHING about it to appreciate! If you are having trouble with this, appreciate the fact that you can even appreciate anything!) I call this “Bringing my presence with me.”
Generally, there is always something happening around us that we can appreciate. Sometimes though, they are things that we never thought of appreciating, things that are there and happening but we haven’t noticed and appreciated.
WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW!
So let’s refresh a bit and go back to my earlier story… I was at a bus stop this morning. The dark clouds were rolling in and the bus was late and I was getting anxious and frustrated. I took a step back from that anxiety and frustration and saw the big tree standing right next to the bus stop. I saw how the evergreens were hanging from their branches and noticed how many different colors of green there were right there in front of me. It was fascinating! I just kept noticing things, the needles, a bird that landed on a branch and before I knew it, the bus was there. I almost didn’t want to leave. I realized that I had brought my presence along with me. (I kept it to myself because I didn’t want to have to pay another fare on the bus!) I also realized I was smiling. What a great turnaround!
Give bringing your presence with you a shot! See if it helps you not only to be less frustrated when you’re waiting for someone or when something might be happening much slower than you’d hope it would. See if you also might be a little happier too! Just as important, see if you think you’re growing in ways you might not have noticed before. Allow yourself to spend less time attempting to be in the future and more time appreciating the things and the people around you right NOW!
Peace
…..Gregg