Hurry Up and Relish the Wait
We’ve all been there. The spot that Dr. Seuss dubs ‘The Waiting Room’ in the classic tale of “Oh, the Places You Will Go” (P.S., which is still 100% one of my all-time faves). Y’all know what I’m talking about. The life space between where you are and where you are going next. It can be a tough transitory spot. Guilty as charged: I’m constantly looking for where and how I’m going to grow next; whether it’s career, personal life, or bucket list item. As soon as I score one accomplishment, I don’t even let the ink dry or relish the moment enough before I start scanning the horizon and saying to myself, ‘Ok, Kemosabe, what’s next?!’ So much so, that I often forget that whatever accomplishment I’m sitting in is one I pined after and worked hard for!
Ambition gets a bad rap (Truth tellin’ 101 Side Bar: especially, if you’re a woman. Hey, just sayin’!), but it’s not at all a bad thing! Ambition lends itself to the human desire for expansion, which is natural. But, ambition can also have the propensity to rush us through life phases that we worked tirelessly to arrive at. And so, in those prolonged ‘Waiting Room’ moments, I’ve discerned that life isn’t cruel. It’s just the Universe side-nudging and whispering, “Psst, remember the time you asked for where you are now? You got it; embrace and enjoy!” The soul inherently gets it, but tell that to the ego! Good luck!
Admittedly, an excruciating life lesson I discovered was to not rush through life phases. How did I get this lesson, you (rhetorically) ask? Therapy? Self-Help books? Nope! I got this lesson a much harder way. Inevitably, after each life phase transition, no matter how positive or harsh the circumstance may have been, I felt a pang of remorse for not having appreciated the moment more for whatever it afforded me: growth, experiences, down-time, productivity, fun, wisdom, etc. Beyond just, ‘man, I miss that person, place, or thing;’ it was more of ‘why didn’t I relish or take advantage of being in the present more by soaking-up those moments!’
Think about some of the major life shifts many of us have endured or elicited: tween to teen; high school to college; college to work force; work force to grad school and then, back again to work force; bachelorette to partnered (or even partnered to bachelor!); single to parent; parent to empty nester…and the beat goes on (cue The Whispers’ 1979 hit!). It’s likely that within each phase, many of us said, “I can’t wait until (fill in said blank),” only to shift and later reminisce on the savory experiences that have passed. Be it the ride or die crew; the downtime; the peace and quiet; the space to just think; the noise of screaming teenagers; or a hectic yet productive schedule. Alas, human nature is such that we tend to yearn for what is absent.
Moral of the story: before wishing yourself out of the ‘Waiting Room;’ take a hot second to soak in whatever the interval has to offer. Relish it! I know it can be tough, especially while trying to expand beyond the current circumstances. Just keep in mind that patience is not so much a virtue, but a practice. And, trust me when I say: don’t rush the stages of life. Embrace each phase fully. You will miss it when it passes. So, sit back, grab a magazine, and — as Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dog poignantly said on their infamous track — “chill till the next episode!”
