A Lifestyle Lesson for Waiting
We humans are continuing to learn a lot about time and our relationship with it. Because the body lives nowhere else but the here and now, when we are embodied and living in the earthly dimensions of our experience, we must move linearly through time. From the past to the now to the future. That’s all we can do in our lower dimensions.
However, in our more ethereal dimensions of the mind, we jump around in time like it’s no big deal. I can remember last night, be present in this moment writing this lesson, and plan the rest of my day, thereby creating my future. We do this time jump instantaneously and with very little effort.
Yet, many of us don’t understand the implications of this time travel. We totally take it for granted.
But if my mind can leap between there in the future and there in the past, and then somehow return to the present, this means that time is actually malleable. It’s a thing that can be manipulated, moved, and used to our advantage because the past, present, and future are accessible all at once from one single hub: your mind.
So when you find yourself waiting, take a moment to reflect on what that means – and you’ll likely find that waiting isn’t a thing at all. It doesn’t exist. It only exists in the limitations we create for ourselves.
When we feel like we’re waiting, we’re usually anticipating a future event and wishing very much that it was our NOW. Like waiting in the grocery line so the clerk can check you out.
Seems straightforward, right?
But if we examine the experience of waiting more deeply, it goes a little further.
You might be “waiting” in the grocery line, but it’s not that you’re waiting for the clerk to check you out. It’s that you are anticipating what’s coming after you check out, leave the store, and go on with your day.
It might be that you’re thinking of a deadline at work that you need to get back to.
Or you might be pondering how you’ll take your groceries and make them into dinner because you’re hungry.
Or it’s possible that you really need to get through the check out because you have to poop.
Whatever it is, the waiting process usually holds more implications than first discovered on the surface.
Waiting in line is a simple example. But what about the bigger things?
What if you’re waiting to make enough money so you can quit your miserable job and be happy?
What if you’re waiting to have children because it feels irresponsible to do so now?
What if you’re waiting on an acceptance (or worse, rejection) letter?
What if you’re waiting for the result of an intimidating medical test?
The point is that waiting sometimes comes with bigger implications, and as a result, bigger emotions.
And that’s where we can learn to transcend waiting altogether.
If you’re waiting, you’re living a lie.
The truth is that your body is here and now living in the PRESENT moment. It doesn’t exist in the past or the future, only the here and now.
In this way, it’s actually impossible for your body to wait – for anything, ever. Instead, your body is always when it is and exactly where it is now.
Your mind – anticipating a future event – is the one creating the misery.
To transcend the waiting process, we must move out of the mind, into the body, and get back to living our life. Here’s three steps on how to do that. I’ll use the examples of being unhappy at work, wanting a child, waiting for an acceptance letter, and waiting for medical results to illustrate what can be done.
SEE: Notice your emotions as you’re “waiting.”
When you find yourself “waiting” for something, go underneath the surface-level feelings of anticipation, and instead explore what’s actually going on.
If you’re waiting to make enough money so you can quit your miserable job and be happy, what is it that’s so uncomfortable about the now?
If you’re waiting to have children because it feels irresponsible to do so now, what is it about your life that’s making you feel a void?
If you’re waiting on an acceptance (or worse, rejection) letter, what part of your self-worth feels like it’s on the line?
If you’re waiting for the result of an intimidating medical test, what will the test either confirm or deny about yourself?
Usually when we’re waiting for something, we’re putting unrealistic pressure on the event (quitting our job, having a baby, receiving the letter, getting the results) to alleviate some sort of discomfort. By the time we get the thing we’ve been waiting for, it’s quite possible our brains have become so addicted to the underlying emotion that it will simply create more crises for you in the future. For example – manifesting another job with another bum boss, manifesting more physical ailments in your body.
Get under the emotion of anticipation and explore what’s going on.
STOP: Stop waiting.
This might seem silly or impossible, but the trick to breaking the anticipation and agony of waiting is to simply stop waiting. This is easier to do once we locate the emotions underneath. Once we understand what’s really going on, there’s usually an immediate solution we can take.
Simply say to yourself (out loud is best), “I’m not waiting for ______ to make me feel better anymore.”
START: Begin to address the underlying emotion NOW.
Waiting stops existing entirely once you’re taking action, so take action now.
If you’re miserable at your job, see how you can structure more boundaries, take a vacation, move offices so you’re away from that annoying co-worker, negotiate remote work, negotiate better pay, or leverage your experiences to spend more time on projects you enjoy. In the meantime, do another job search – but don’t wait for that next job to create a happier version of yourself. You’ll just bring your misery with you.
If you’re longing to have a baby but don’t believe it’s a good idea now, find a recipient of all that nurturing energy. Get a puppy or a plant. Take a parenting class online or read a book on it. If you’re single, start exploring in vitro or adoption options now. If you’re in a relationship, work on that relationship to cultivate an environment based on love, affection, and good boundaries. By the time your child arrives, you’ll be a better parent for having made the most of your time beforehand.
If you’re waiting on an acceptance/rejection letter, expand your options and reality in the meantime. Spend time in sensate meditation imagining what your life will be like if you receive an acceptance, and also explore other options if you are rejected. When we don’t feel desperate, we create a frequency that is more likely to call in the desired result.
If you’re waiting on medical tests, explore various scenarios and look at holistic options. A diagnosis is only helpful because it tells you what’s going on so you can get down to the task of healing yourself. Waiting for a prognosis (whether or not you’ll survive it), is NOT helpful and can actually program your brain into creating doomsday scenarios that then become manifested in your body. Act as if you’re already sick, what would you do differently? How would you change your diet and exercise? Would you sleep more? How would you eliminate stress? Chances are if you’re waiting on a medical diagnosis, these things already need to change.
Waiting wastes your life. Instead of spending your precious earth energy twiddling your thumbs, use those thumbs to get something done.
MAGIC MANTRA: My life is lived now.