Everything in Life Worth Having Can Take Longer Than You Think It Will

The waiting game can create a lot of anxiety

In the interim between what you want and what you have, you might experience anxiety. Anxiety is a natural part of waiting. It’s helpful to approach the anxiety as a positive sign: You’re motivated to do something that’s meaningful to you—and anxiety is your body making sure it gets done! The waiting game creates a lot of opportunities for distractions, but if you can make time in your day to manage your anxiety around whatever it is you’re waiting for—well, that’s an active practice. And being active will help keep your overall mindset positive as well.

Waiting allows you to see things from a different perspective

And the best part about this skill is that we can transfer it to every aspect of your life. You don’t have to wait for things you want anymore—you can learn to think about them differently instead. The way you view a situation change when you take a step back and reflect on it. By waiting for what we want, we become thankful for it, because we can appreciate just how far we’ve come. And sometimes the only way we can truly see that is by looking at how much time has passed since something first piqued our interest.

When you wait, you can’t control everything

For the things that matter most, time is not a luxury we have. Time is a necessity.

When we wait for things, they forced us to slow down and think about the opportunities that our lives present to us. We can carefully assess those opportunities and choose which ones will propel us into a better or different place than where we currently find ourselves.

If you’re waiting on something important, don’t forget to use this gift of extra time as best you can and as thoughtfully as possible. You might not control your circumstances, but there are many other things you have complete control over during this period of waiting:

• The people with whom you surround yourself (and how they treat you.
• Your gratitude for what already exists in your life.
• Your attitude when someone asks how things are going.
• How much attention you pay to your worries versus how much attention you pay to all the other amazing parts of your life.

People who are good at waiting tend to be more content with their lives.

While waiting can be frustrating, it can also present itself as an opportunity. Waiting gives you the time to reflect and assess your life. Waiting allows you to be grateful for what you have and to comprehend more clearly what it is that you want.