Strength in the Waiting
Have you ever held a plank, squat, or wall sit position? Perhaps for a mere 30 seconds? Oof! If you’ve ever tried it for the first - or fifth- time, you know there’s no such thing as a “mere” 30 seconds. It burns. Burns! Your muscles tremble. Your limbs and core scream. Your brain begs you to quit, to just let go.
Now, have you ever watched someone do one of these exercises for 30 seconds? It’s boring. Nothing happens. You might see their body quiver with strain, but nothing happens. You’re just waiting. Same as the person in the exercise. Waiting. Waiting for the time to come when they can be done.
Waiting, in many ways in life, is exactly that - pain, ache, trembling, agitation, wanting to quit, wanting to plow ahead to the next thing, and boring. Waiting can be oh so boring. But as you’re waiting for that plank to end, you’re getting stronger. Your fibers are tearing apart to rebuild into tougher, stronger muscles. Having to wait on things in life also makes us stronger.
I love change. LOVE it. When I was a kid, I would rearrange my room, just to feel like something different and new was happening. My siblings and I would swap rooms every six months. I loved the start of the school year because everything was different. In college, it was amplified. I moved twice a year, rearranged my room whenever I wanted, then signed up for ever-changing activities around campus.
Then I became an adult. I itched for change, for something new to happen in life. I ended up moving to a new town each year, as well as a new job each year. Then my husband and I decided to settle - to stop moving. We’ve lived in the same house for 5 years now and I itch for change. I itch for something different. But the waiting… oh-ho! The waiting has taught me so much. Through waiting - through sitting still and being bored I’ve learned to stop jumping from job to job, town to town, and to do what it is I love. I’ve learned how to better balance my work and personal life. Waiting has taught me that it’s okay to not always be busy or have something going on.
Because of this, I’ve learned to cultivate better relationships with the people around me. I take more pride in my work, knowing it means more because I won’t be leaving it any time soon. Through waiting, we learn so much about ourselves and strengthen attributes of who we are that were weak and useless before. No matter what you might be waiting for, remember that there is an opportunity to grow and become a stronger version of yourself. You can serve and bless the people around you while you wait.
Challenges/Points:
Waiting is painful, but it makes us stronger.
You may be itching for that next thing or the next big change, but don’t ignore what’s happening around you right now.
If you’ve grown bored, waiting for the next phase of life, ask yourself how you can re-engage with what’s happening around you so that you can focus on growing stronger during this time.
Questions:
Do you itch for something new? That next phase in life or just for something different? What do you think causes or triggers this?
What are three things you can do to engage in the world around you instead of boredly waiting for something to happen in your life?
Are you feeling the pain of waiting? What is something you can do now to prepare for when the waiting is over? (i.e. planning ahead, wrapping up loose ends, etc).
To talk more about this or something else on your mind text the number 494949 to chat with our team or visit RemedyLIVE.com/chat anytime, day or night.
Did someone send you this post, and you want to subscribe to our free self care guide? Text CARE to 494949 to receive daily posts.
