The Waiting Game

For years I played the waiting game. I waited for the moment when every piece of the puzzle would fit together and I would be able to say, “Ah! There it is – the BIG MOMENT. I have waited all my life for this!” The right job, the right person to do things with, the right time to do something, the right car, the right body, the right “life” – whatever that even means! I was one of those people who thought it was all just going to “work out”. My plan was to just exist and “if it’s right” it was going to work out and it would be a God thing and I wouldn’t have to lift a finger. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Yes, I totally believe in God things – I’ve experienced many of them and I believe God has ordered my steps (PS: Can I get a hint how this thing plays out, God? Just kidding. But, really…) but if I am not doing anything to pursue God’s blessings or callings on my life or my potential or getting myself submerged in life how could I ever expect things to “just happen”? God never condoned complacency.

It was early in this year I was kind of starting to realize the whole “waiting” thing wasn’t really working for me. Nothing that I had accomplished that I was proud of had come from waiting. Graduating from school, job opportunities, personal goals… none of it had manifested through sitting around. I had already kind of made some changes in the waiting game a couple of years ago when I got tired of people telling me they were going to do things or act on some great thought they had – and I just did stuff on my own. I was over people not making good on empty promises. I could say I’m completely over this but that’s not completely true. I still have a tendency to hang around waiting for people. I’m much better than I used to be and it’s easier for me cut strings but then there’s that caring part of me that gets me in trouble. It’s a fine balance – one I’m still trying to figure out. Finality ain’t fun.

I had made the change in waiting around as far as relationships but what about myself? At the beginning of this year I was no doubt restless and struggling with what I wanted to go or places I thought I needed to be. “It’ll all work out,” was my go-to phrase. That’s great in theory – wouldn’t we all love for opportunities to fall in our lap and us not have to put in effort? That’s called ideas of grandeur (ie: delusion).

As this year begins to come to a close I am done with the waiting game. I refuse to play it anymore. It’s not enough for me to fully participate in certain parts of my life and not others. I need to have my hands all over it, in it, and working as hard as I can to do my part in this life thing.

If you are waiting for the right time, the right opportunity or a big lightning bolt sent from the sky… you are going to be waiting for a long time. There is a difference in trust and just being lazy. If you want something… GO GET IT. If you know you need to be better… BE BETTER. If you want to make a change… MAKE THE CHANGE. It’s not overnight, it’s not easy, it’s not always fun… but, what else are you waiting for? Waiting won’t make it any less easy or happen faster or make it more fun.

Do some things require waiting? Yes. And, those are the things you can’t just get. Love. Respect. Happiness. Certain results. I was thinking about this recently – the things we all truly want we can’t just go out and get. They have to be earned. They have to be tempered. You have to be patient. It’s painful to wait sometimes. But, not everything in life requires waiting. Some things – the things that help us be loved better, be more respected, be more happy – those things we can work on starting now. They don’t require waiting. Even if the results aren’t overnight you can start actively participating in changing your life NOW.

I’ve gotten quite a few things recently I’ve wanted simply because I put in the hard work. Does that mean it’s over? No. If you neglect the things you care about, guess what? Bye bye. If you value something/someone you will work hard every single day to keep it. If you’re ready to give up waiting you have to be ready to put in the work to keep the things you want.

I have to tell myself this all the time – just get it over with! Start! Take the leap and work hard. Nothing pays like hard work… the results will come, the changes will come, the opportunities will happen… just go out and do it.