Impatience for success
I was reflecting on my life today. Maybe it was the fact that today is tax day (despite the clemency that Canada Revenue Agency has given due to nobody updating their website 😉 ); perhaps it is because I am between jobs and watching the levels in my bank account drop far faster than I had planned (again, thanks to Revenue Canada…don’t spend it all in one place, guys. OK?).
Mostly I have come to the conclusion that I spend an awful lot of time impatiently waiting for stuff to happen to me. Not just generic stuff, but GOOD stuff; Like getting a story published; finishing my novel; getting anybody to read this blog; having my financial ship come in (hello…I know you’re out there!). But it struck me today that, while stuff is always happening to us in our lives, there are two classes of stuff; stuff we hope will happen, due to our hard work or delusional fantasies, and inevitable stuff, much of which we would rather not dwell upon.
The good stuff is easy, as I mentioned above. We often can’t wait for it to happen, and when it does, it rarely appears in the manner of our imaginings, often making it seem anticlimactic.
The bad stuff is relentless and not so much fun, but it is still anticipated. Stuff like taxes (am I still on that???); death of a pet; death of a parent; a child leaving home; failing health and our own eventual trip towards the light. We know this stuff is coming, but we don’t often dwell on it and rather dread it.
In the end, life moves on at whatever pace it intends and all of the events that unfold in our lifetimes will occur regardless of how impatient we are for them to happen or how we dread them.
My point in all this, if there is one, is that I need to spend less time hoping, dreaming, anticipating and dreading and far more time doing and living. I have stories and books to write and a golf game to improve. I have a grand daughter to spoil and a wife and children to love. I really don’t have a lot of time left on this planet, so I really think I should stop wasting it.
Oh, well. As interesting as this musing has been, I need to do something productive now. I think I will work on my next story and try to find a way to make some money that the government can tax…at least if it gets taxed it means I made something!
Pax Vobiscum
I now where you’re coming from, brother. I guess we have to focus on all the small victories and small pleasures: A beautiful sunrise, a great cup of coffee, your partner’s smile, a well written sentence.
I also dislike waiting. So, I try to make exciting things happen in the meantime. Come up with a great story idea, take a pleasant walk, re-watch my favorite movie, listen to good music.
Tony Robbins (The Self-Help Guru) calls us deletion creatures, because we delete or ignore, so much of the daily stimulus that reaches our brains. We have to, otherwise we couldn’t function. Certain disabilities turn this filter off, causing all manner of unpleasant side effects. Anyway, my point is, that we have to learn to delete the annoying things, and choose to focus on the small, but important positives.
I’m glad I don’t have to making a living as a motivational speaker! LOL I’d starve. But I thought I’d throw my 2 cents in the ring because I suffer from the same thoughts.
ouch, typos and I can’t edit my post 🙂
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Hugh. Sorry to have my site locked down so tightly (re edits) but spam is my bane on my photography site, so I am approving everything on here beforehand.