Photo by Anthony Tran from Unsplash

Good things happen to those who learn how to patiently wait. The concept of waiting is incorporated in all forms of life. Plants take time to grow just like we do. There’s no real way to shorten or expedite the process if you want to ensure the desired result. My parents have always taught me the value of patience in anything I work for. Since I was a kid, I’ve accepted that I can’t get everything I want, especially without working hard enough for it. This is why it continues to baffle me how people assume the world owes them something. They think they can get what they want instantly, without having to work for it. 

Nowadays, with our tight attachment to social media, we’re used to accessing an immense amount of information in just a click. We’ve grown accustomed to receiving instant gratification so much that we unconsciously unlearned how to wait. Social media has led us to believe we can play pretend with our success. When we go online, we see a lot of people showing off their brand new car or their latest iPhone. The other half who aren’t wealthy enough to purchase luxury items think they can do the same.

Unfortunately, they fail to understand these people may either have privileges that allowed them to obtain these things easily or they needed to take three jobs to do so. 

The few people who do the latter had to wait for the time when their money grew bigger than their expenses. They had to work extra hard and waited for results to kick in. It’s a common sight for some individuals to post their successes online and brag about the short time it took them to be in that place. These days, we construe speed in one’s progress directly related to one’s intelligence, skill, and passion. The fear to be viewed as a failure is holding us back from exercising the virtue of patience.

 

WHY IS WAITING HARD? 

 

To be in the season of waiting is one of the most daunting situations to be. We never know what awaits us in the future, but then we have no choice but to take a risk to get the slightest chance of a better one. Waiting is hard because people are innately selfish. Our very nature shows that we are entitled to meeting our every want and need sooner than others. We want to receive something at the exact time we want; otherwise, we get frustrated and upset. We create these ridiculous expectations but don’t have the discipline to work hard for them persistently. It is because we would rather talk big than act big. Most of us fall into the trap of more talk, less execution.

Waiting is difficult because we’re scared we won’t have much time left to prove our worth. We spend most of our lives developing our talents and skills to find a sense of belongingness in others. We don’t want to be left behind or excluded by what other people are doing. Usually, those who don’t have enough patience tend to be very competitive people-pleasers. Their morale is so low that they would jump at any chance for them to be emotionally validated. Their state of mind is strained and uneasy for always being in a hurry. They’re in a hurry to prove to everyone that they are worthy of their praise and approval. 

 

6 BEAUTIFUL REMINDERS WHILE YOU’RE IN THE SEASON OF WAITING:

EXPECT LESS, THANK MORE 

While you’re in the season of waiting, the number one enemy you should overcome is your expectations. Waiting is hard enough as it is. It gets harder when you let your expectations distract you from focusing on your long-term goals because you’re too scared of not having anything to show off while you’re still small. Impatience comes from desperation to please other people. 

You can’t receive a great result if you keep a terrible attitude in the waiting. Sometimes, when you’re expecting a huge reward, it doesn’t come anyway. That’s just how life works, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen differently. Your expectations may not happen exactly the way you want them to turn out, but somewhere along the road, you’re going to be thankful it didn’t. 

The smart thing to do is to seize every opportunity and making the most out of it. When you’re thankful for every chance to learn and grow, you think less of what other people might say about it and more of what you can get out of it. Remember that gratitude opens the doors to opportunities, not expectations. 

Be grateful that you have something to look forward to even when you’re uncertain of the when. Stop fantasizing about fake scenarios in your head if you’re unwilling to put in the work to make it a reality. Otherwise, you’re just torturing yourself of the impossibility of your ideal future coming true. 

BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE 

While you’re in the season of waiting, it’s imperative to stand firm with your goals no matter what. Along the way, you’re going to find reasons to hold back. Inevitably, you’ll be in a place where you start to question your risks and if everything you’ve done is worth it. There are going to be people who will go out of their way to feed you false narratives to make you lose focus. They will influence you to elicit negative behavior to hinder your progress. 

Once you get off track, they will take advantage of your weakness and hit you every time. When they get ahold of you, it will be more difficult to give in to their criticism. It’s important that you have the integrity to anchor all your decisions to your principles and long-term goals. Otherwise, you won’t make it in the waiting. The journey to fighting for your goals is not easy. When you encounter problems, face them bravely and head-on. The sooner you address them, the quicker you move forward. 

Don’t allow people to undervalue your sacrifices and small accomplishments. Don’t let them speak ill to your words of affirmation. Create an enthusiastic, responsive environment around yourself where you have the freedom to express your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Establish a strong sense of self-awareness to appreciate your flaws and imperfections confidently. To stand by your dreams, you need to flourish within. 

LEARN TO DEAL WITH ANXIOUS THOUGHTS 

Throughout the journey of waiting, it’s vital to be emotionally prepared for what’s to come. Ruminating if things go well or south is futile if you have no action to back it up. If you don’t do what you promise yourself, expect a bad result or nothing at all. But if you rise above your fear of things going wrong, you’re going to have something wonderful to look forward to. 

 

Your thoughts have the power to determine how your life is going to look and feel. Anxious thoughts are a part of the waiting game, so it’s vital you learn to deal with them courageously. If you go to sleep and wake up the next day feeling anxious, it’s a clear sign that you haven’t been taking care of yourself very well. You may work tirelessly for years on end only to face the greatest disappointment of your life. 

 

You also may work only for a good six months and skyrocket to success. Nobody really knows what’s in store for them. But one thing’s certain if you plan, you will achieve your reward. Don’t torture your mind by filling it with things to get worked up. What you need is a calm headspace and a firm purpose to push through the misery. Clear your mind by thinking your hard work will pay off and that you can overcome future setbacks along the way. 

FOCUS ON THE PRESENT, NOT THE FUTURE 

One way to enable fear is to feed your mind with worst-case scenarios about the future. While you’re in the season of waiting, it’s easy to dwell on what the future holds because it’s hard to take accountability when you’re uncertain. Anyone can make predictions about tomorrow but what you do today always create the kind of future for you. 

 

Focusing on the past or the future solves nothing but makes the present a living hell. Remember that you’re in control of what you can do every day, so make the right choice to build a fruitful future. Be patient while waiting because it’s the only smart and productive thing you can do. 

 

Overthinking the what-ifs will only destroy your self-esteem and keep you from putting in the real work. The likelihood of getting huge results is contingent on your attitude and outlook in the now. It’s essential to divide your time and energy into developing something long-term, like your career and character. You need to reframe your focus towards your current objectives and instead of the big picture.

TAKE CONSISTENT STEPS 

Consistency, mixed with skill, is the ingredient to getting outstanding results. No matter the dream, daily commitment is the key to lifelong success. While you’re in the waiting, there’s plenty of room for you to nurture yourself and to keep building your empire. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Let go of the notion that you must do everything all at once. 

 

What it takes for success is for you to give the best that you can to every challenge. Your dreams need you to show up and make progress, no matter how little. They require you to set aside temporary pleasures for you to get what you really want. It’s a matter of discipline to make the right choice in reaching your goals despite the many temptations to hold you back. Being in the season of waiting requires you to form good habits. 

 

It’s important to train your mind into motivating yourself even without tangible rewards. There may not be signs that will hint your success is coming, and you must still have faith that it will all work out. What’s done consistently eventually turns into a huge milestone in the long-term process. Never underestimate the small steps you do every day because they lead to big results. 

 

What you think is slow is already a hundred times quicker than the majority of people who are too afraid to change. What you think is too small enough is a huge impact on your success. No matter how slow your pace is, make it a daily goal to determine your plan of action and strategy. As long as you keep moving forward, you will have the unwavering confidence that shows you’re capable of great things. 

CONNECT WITH GOAL-ORIENTED PEOPLE 

The type of people you surround yourself with greatly influences the kind of person you become. As crucial as the season of waiting is, there’s no telling how long or what the future is going to look like. But losing the chance to know what awaits at the end of the road is a huge mistake. 

 

A lot of people risk not reaping the reward of their hard work for temporary gratification. They sabotage their day until everything they’ve built is torn apart—all because they couldn’t wait any longer. Being with negative and overcritical people can make you feel like you’re waiting for nothing and filling your mind with unnecessary stress. 

 

If you attach yourself to the beliefs, perspectives, and attitudes of these types of people, you’re putting your own beliefs, dreams, and achievements all in the drain. In the season of waiting, having goal-oriented and resilient people in your life helps you maintain the positive mindset and attitude you need to keep going. 

CONCLUSION: 

There is beauty in stillness and in waiting. It takes a lot of faith to fully commit to the uncertainties and risks of waiting, but that’s when you truly know you trust the process. There is grace in being mindful of your health and inner energy, as well as refusing to mistake resting for a lack of tenacity. Be appreciative of the fact that you’re still alive and given the chance to wait, which means there’s something beautiful to look forward to. 

 

The only way for you to be at peace is to believe that your hard work, mixed with patience, will pay off eventually. Although you’re unsure if it will, saying it and truly having confidence in your capabilities is one way to hold on for the ride. Make decisions that will create a better future. Even if the full picture is unclear, your vision is clear. You don’t have to wait for results to show before you start creating the path to where you’re headed. 

 

You need to keep on improving yourself by practice and dedication every day. You’re not going to know what’s going to happen anyway, so why not think about promising scenarios to ease your worries? It’s unnecessary to plant your mind with unfavorable ideas; it only risks losing hope and giving up. 

“Waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts.” 

Elizabeth Elliot