Waiting is the hardest part

by Jill Sockman

The waiting is the hardest part. Or so the lyrics go. And oddly enough, even though I have more song lyrics than just about anything else stored in this brain of mine, those are the only words I know.

I’m in a hallway of sorts. It’s not a hall full of doors where I need to pick one and walk through it. It’s more like a transition area of some kind. It’s not unpleasant, and not terribly uncomfortable.

I feel clear on where I am.

But understanding this waiting time theoretically is not at all the same as abiding peacefully with the open space on a daily basis. My mom says I have been like this since I was just wee: I see where I want to be and I want to be there NOW. But now I’ve got this whole Yoga Thing and wow, does it ever throw a wrench into that mode of operation.

How do you handle the waiting? In the small and short-term ways like waiting in line, sitting in traffic, enduring a cold? And what about the big ways, in your work, your relationships, in the transitions and transformations of old, bad habits into healthier, happier ways of thinking and living?

For me, it depends on the day. Sometimes I am just fine in the waiting zone. I feel content and trust that when the time is perfect, the doors ahead will swing wide open and a fresh breeze will pull me through. Other days I feel impatient and frustrated. I’m cramped in this damn chrysalis and I want to FLY!

So for now I take a deep breath. I look at what’s behind me with gratitude, relief, and satisfaction. I look at the closed door ahead with anticipation. I look up and ask for grace and patience.

And I flap my growing wings against the shell every now and again. I’ll be ready…