What are you waiting for? You’re waiting for news, waiting for that big break, or waiting for that deal to close. Maybe you’re waiting for your soulmate, waiting for an epiphany, or waiting for “I’ll be happy when…[fill in the blank].”
Waiting can quickly turn into plain old miserable and stuck.
I used to plant a “seed” – often one I hoped would lead to a big, exciting, and hard-to-achieve fruit. I didn’t take the time to learn about soil conditions. I’d dive in with my seed, so excited I could already taste my future award-winning and lucrative prize.
Then I’d wait for it to grow. I’d hover and stare and furrow my brow, meanwhile blocking the sun and rain with my ginormous head. A beautiful life all around me, far too much of my focus remained on this seed. This one seed became all-important. Even if against all odds, it did produce a glorious fruit, I’d gobble it down, hardly tasting it, as I tossed in the next even harder to grow seed. This is not the way to a healthy garden, nor certainly not a healthy gardener.
Stop waiting. Start living.
Had I slowed down enough to – I don’t know, learn – I might’ve noticed that our climate (timing, area) is all wrong for the varietal; the temperature too cold, our soil too sandy, the yard too shaded, etc. Also, what if I’d gone and played in the sprinkler, or had a picnic, or checked out a friend’s garden in the meantime to pick up some tips?
When we put all our energy into hovering over (okay, obsessing over) one seed, we might even block the sun and rain it needs to grow. We might find ourselves depressed, lonely, and we will certainly have an aching neck and shoulders.
We mostly can’t force outcomes, whether in the garden, with our loved ones, at work, with our goal pursuits, or in the community. When we do it can cause injury to ourselves and/or others.
What we can do is keep planting seeds. We can trust our efforts and even celebrate our efforts. We can call it good and find other work to do, people to meet, or spark some curiosity in an entirely different area.
Also, that answer or outcome we’re desperately awaiting often brings with it a whole slew of additional questions and more waiting.
Instead of learning to wait, let’s learn to keep living and even enjoy it. I can help with that.
If you want to work on raising your low mood or overall wellbeing, need help getting unstuck, or want to start reaching toward your next job, goal, or dream? sign up for a free breakthrough session.