This may sound ridiculous but there are advantages to waiting and what we do with that time. How much time do you spend waiting? Waiting for a doctor’s appointment. Stuck commuting to and from work. The list seems endless but let’s explore this thought.
How well do you wait for things? Do you become flustered or angered? Let's talk about what happens when we're forced to wait for something.
It seems that in today’s world, everywhere you look people are in a hurry. Timesaving devices are cropping up as fast as weeds in your landscaping, because, as we all know by now, time is money, and we're all in a mad rush to either save it or spend it.
So…what happens when you are forced to wait for something? You have a 4:00 doctor’s appointment, but you are still waiting to see the doctor at 5:00. You are at the end of a check-out line at the supermarket with ten people ahead of you, or behind fifty people waiting to get into the movie theater. What could be more frustrating is being stuck in monstrous traffic jams - morning or evening.
However, there are two ways to look at waiting. First: you can spend the time fuming, working yourself into a tizzy about all the valuable time you're being forced to waste, raising your blood pressure and stress levels as you sit or stand waiting your turn or for the traffic to clear. Much of this time there is not much you can do to hurry things along. Second: you can regard waiting as a gift of time. What can you do with this gift? Here are just a few thoughts.
Use this time to develop possible solutions to personal or work-related problems. Do mental gymnastics - commit something to memory or see how long a list of things you can remember. Get creative. Make up life histories for the people around you. Carry a book with you, one that you find difficult to read for more than a short period at a time. Crossword or other puzzles are great for filling time and exercising the brain. Set goals for the rest of the day or week.
I knew one person who listened to self-help CD’s while traveling to work. This person swore that the knowledge gained was extremely helpful in starting their off on the right foot. On the way home, this person listened to various audio books which had a calming effect. A friend of mine used this time recording their thoughts into a recording device and, over time, was able to use this information to publish a book.
The list is endless, but the point is to not waste the time spent waiting. Use this time to create a better life for you and the others you influence.
