Waiting; An opportunity or a frustration?

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
Anne Frank

Anne Frank was locked away for two years, hiding from the Nazis. She knew a lot about waiting. Her waiting was necessary to save her life. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful.

Many of us are in situations where waiting is being forced upon us. Perhaps you are in college, waiting for the life of studies to be over. Maybe you are pregnant, waiting for the time of delivery. Perhaps you are waiting for the result of a job interview. Or even just waiting in busy traffic.

Whatever our situation, most of us dislike waiting, but it can't be avoided.
How will waiting affect us?
How should we wait?
Can waiting be a positive experience?

How will waiting affect us?

This largely depends on your personality. 
Some of us are people of action, of purpose, and anything that gets in our way feels like someone else's evil plan to annoy us. 

Some of us are people who accept waiting as an opportunity to pause and smell the flowers.
Whichever personality type you are, you will stay that way regardless of the waiting.

If you are a contemplative person, waiting may be a time you cherish. A time to catch up with yourself, time to spend on that project that fills your heart, time to spend with those you love. A time to just take a deep, relaxing breath.

Waiting suits some people. They can disengage from the rush and enjoy being still in mind and soul with themselves or others. For them, yes, waiting can initially increase their heart rate, make them feel agitated, they may think their goal is pointless, and they may feel a loss of belief and self-confidence. 

If you are an active person, being confined by waiting is very frustrating. They feel physically restricted. Their social world may feel cut off to them. They may have palpitations from anxiety, their thoughts may race around in their mind, outbursts of anger may occur, and they may give up as they believe their goal is gone.

However, patient people are quicker to accept their plight. As a result, the negativity they may be tempted into at first gives way to calm and peace from a willingness to accept the wait. This willingness to accept the waiting allows the person to use the waiting as an opportunity and not a curse.

How do we wait?

If you are the person who can accept the wait well, then you have an easier road ahead of you. This may be the time you crave. Time to work on your garden, read that book, or even write that book.

The clearness of mind that a person can have in being willing to be still is a true gift. Such people can see and are willing to explore lots of possibilities even while waiting in a shopping queue.

Then some find being still impossible. They only stop to recharge through sleep or another activity they find satisfying and distracting.

For active people, being confined by waiting is very frustrating. They feel physically restricted. Their social world may feel cut off to them. They may have palpitations from anxiety, their thoughts may race around in their mind, outbursts of anger may occur, and they may give up as they believe their goal is gone.

Unfortunately for these people, they have to learn to sit with themselves in their own space. They have to learn how to be still in mind and spirit at least, if not in body.

Meditative practices are often encouraged in situations like this. They can seem off-putting to people who avoid even the fear of being still. They need to convince themselves that meditative practices are not about doing nothing. They involve an active concentration of mind and body. Look up online and find one that suits you.

Meditation, even prayer, is not for everyone. Physical exercise routines may be more appropriate, or even DIY or gardening. For short-term waiting, perhaps, they can content themselves with working on their phone. As long as the active person has a space, physical or emotional, in which they can go and feel alive, that will help them in this time of waiting.

Can waiting be positive?

If you are a contemplative person, waiting gives you the time you crave. If you are an active person, then you are being given a great gift. A reason, and time to learn how to just be in your own space.

Either way, you win.

Enjoy the waiting?