If asked, most people would probably say they welcome a certain amount of anticipation in their lives; presents appearing under the tree on Christmas Eve to be opened only after midnight, or the fluttery feeling you have as the infamous “third date” approaches, or the giddy excitement right before the new school year starts. These moments are anticipated with nervous excitement, making them all the more interesting to us as we wait, and that is a good thing. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Anticipation can quickly become an exercise in patience. Patience. Patience, patience, patience….How quickly do we become tired of being patient? Of repeatedly being told we must be patient? Of our patience being sorely tested, and then tested further? ARRGGHHH!!!!!!!!

ANNOUNCEMENT: We are doing “patient” all wrong.

You heard me.

We tend to treat patience as the ability to hang on by our fingernails while waiting for whatever it is we really want, and this is where we jump the track, right off the rails into impatience – foot-tapping to foot-stomping, finger-drumming to nail-biting, advocating to demanding. We are not “being patient” so much as we are holding our breath and hoping we don’t actually turn blue. What an incredible waste of energy and opportunity!

Anticipation is fine when we are on the edge of enjoying the reward, not when there are miles to go before we sleep. Rather than “hanging in there,” we should use the time to our advantage – rest, renew, reinvent, reinvest, revisit, revise, study, gather, plan, grow – the choices are limitless and within our power. There is always something we could be doing while we wait; find what works for you – do you write, read, paint, sew, garden, run, bake, cook, sing, dance, study, play the guitar – everyone does something. When my patience is tested, I research an aspect of why I am waiting. Knowledge is power, and the more I know, the more powerful I will be when the waiting is over.

Don’t just be patient – do something! You may be surprised.