Some people hate waiting. The inability to produce a desired result makes some people feel powerless, anxious and grumpy. When there are so many things to wait for in life, people get really miffed if they are stuck waiting for something that shouldn’t take long.

We have to wait for our tax return (if we’re lucky enough to get one).

We have to wait for a test result from the doctor’s office.

We have to wait for our kids to put on those DOGGONE LACE-UP SHOES.

It’s enough to drive you bonkers.

Right now I’m waiting to hear back about a bunch of writing projects; some of them are articles I submitted, some are writing contests. Waiting is hard.

There is a way to make waiting easier.

Rather than just sit there and watch the hands on the clock move in slow motion, why not use the time? I keep running into this quote and I think it is one that will stick with me:

Never give up on a dream because it will take too long to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway. >Earl Nightingale

So many times we are in such a rush to move on to the next agenda item, to cross off something our list, that we don’t admire the moment we’re in. We shuffle along with our heads down, moving from one appointment to the next, and don’t look up from our feet. And we wonder why we’re tired, depressed, disconnected or unenergized?

This is the point at which I am tempted to write a list of things you can do while you wait. But I’m going to resist the bullet-points. Each person must find her own active form of waiting. For some it will be a physical activity or it could be something that engages a totally unrelated part of your brain. But that’s all the list I want to offer because I know that you can find your own version. You know what will energize you, buoy your spirits as you hold out for that piece of news, for that next door to open for you.

We humans can be so fickle. How often do we wish we had more time in a day? But when that time comes but doesn’t meet our specifications, we get grumpy. Extra time can be a gift. It can give us time to prepare ourselves for that next phase. Sometimes when we have to wait for something, we discover in the waiting that it isn’t what we wanted or needed. It can also give us time to build up resilience or a reserve of experience we will need.

Waiting doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Maybe today we can resolve to wait graciously with our eyes open to life around us, rather than eyes squinched shut and a cloud over our heads. I’ll try if you will!