Waiting

Do you ever get tired of waiting?  It is a part of life.  We wait in line at the grocery store.  We wait in line at our favorite department stores.  We wait in line to buy fast food.  We wait for appointments at the doctor and dentist office.  We wait for services at the hair and nail salon.  We wait for the computer to accomplish various tasks.  Even with high speed Internet connections, it still seems that we have to wait longer than we should.  Or perhaps, I'm just extremely impatient where computer tasks are concerned. 

Our mentality is that we want everything done fast.  Sometimes, we wait through telephone prompts, just trying to talk to service representatives.  Often we, or maybe it's just me, hang up because we get tired of all the waiting.

Is having to wait necessarily a negative thing?  Most of the time, it sure feels like it.  However, there are circumstances where waiting can be a positive thing.  I'm sure part of it has to do with what we're waiting for.  We wait when we are trying to learn new things.  After all, learning something new doesn't usually happen over night.  Teachers give students "wait time" when answering questions.  This allows students time to process information prior to responding, giving them more time to think before someone is chosen to answer the question.  Additionally, we wait for the right time to meet someone, to marry, to have children, to change careers, to begin new business ventures and adventures as well.  In all these instances, waiting is a positive thing.

What does all this waiting mean?  Waiting can mean an awful lot, when it comes to how one responds to a given situation.  In all the ways that waiting occurs, this is one of the most important.  I know you've had this experience too.  The one where you responded too quickly, and it just didn't come out the right way.  What came out of your mouth wasn't what you really wanted to say or intended to say.  It has happened to all of us.  It's still happening to some of us. 

What's the solution? ...WAITING!  When we have to respond to a comment or remark (usually negative in nature) we should wait, before sharing our response.  It can make all the difference in the world.  Our knee jerk reactions never seem to be the best response.  When we wait, take the time to think and process, our response comes out a lot better.  By waiting, we allow ourselves time to calm down, think about what was said and determine how we should respond.  Waiting can make a huge difference.  It can mean the difference between coming to an understanding or creating an even bigger problem.  Waiting gives us time to clear our heads.  Waiting, can be our friend.
What do you think?