Have you ever been in a situation where you rushed to get to an appointment or to a location and then you had to wait?! I know a lot of people who are in a hurry, zipping past me on the road, charging past me in the grocery store aisle.
I understand that sometimes it is necessary to rush - but do you know someone who is ALWAYS in a hurry? Someone who exudes "hurry up" energy? It rubs off. My skin gets prickly around these people, my feet tap, my pulse jumps and my shoulders start to tighten up.
I recently met someone at one of my workshops who came to a very important action step. Their goal was to actively wait. Yup. Someone thought that they heard wrong and asked, "Don't you mean take action?" But this person explained that they knew change was coming, but they didn't know what it would look like. So in order to recognize the "change" that would start - they had to pay attention. I thought that was BRILLIANT.
A-ha! So there's a difference between Hurry Up and Wait and Actively Wait, then?! Yes, there is - a big one. It seems to have something to do with focusing and paying attention.
Paying Attention
We humans are really good at spotting patterns. It helps us to categorize, organize, and prioritize. (Not necessarily in that order.) When we pay attention we tend to notice things that either repeat themselves (like habits - for example), or happen outside the regular pattern. Both kinds of paying attention are important.
Focus
This is where focus comes in. If were are paying attention, and let the things we notice slip through our radar with a, oh-now-isn't-that-interesting thought, then the effort is wasted. But if we focus in on what we notice and ask ourselves questions, "Why does that bug me?" "How does that work?" "What made them do that?" then the attention can lead us to something more productive. A solution perhaps. Or a brilliant IDEA.
So you see, when you are in a hurry it is difficult to pay attention and to focus. You simply are moving too fast. Part of Actively Waiting is to be still, or at least to slow down a bit. Don't plan anything for the weekend. Don't take on another project. Take a close look at your calendar and make sure you have time to just be.
I'm not talking ZEN - "be". I'm talking about being open to possibilities, a change in course - who knows? But when it presents itself you'll have time to take action.
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People who are constantly hurrying make me nervous, too. This includes both my mother and my mother-in-law. I think my mother-in-law's favorite word is "hurry". My husband has inherited that disturbing trait. BUT he manages to pay attention, too. I, on the other hand, have only one speed. It's neither slow nor fast, but if told to "hurry up", I probably do slow down slightly. And yet I don't actually pay too much attention. But I must say that I am a person who is *relatively* open to new experiences and change that may present themselves spontaneously. Hmm. I'm one complicated case!
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