Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.As I was growing up, I always wanted to be older. Old enough to not go to the babysitter. Old enough to drive. Old enough to be on my own. Even in my adult life, I was always looking to the next big thing in my job, in my marriage, in my relationships.
I was always stuck in this place of looking forward, never enjoying the moment.
Back in December, my friend Jeff Goins was in the process of writing his new book, The In-Between. He asked his tribe to submit stories about waiting and he’d select a few to go into his book. Since I’ve felt like my life has been one big waiting game (and I’m never one to pass up an opportunity), I submitted a story and went on with my life.
A few months down the road, I received a message that my story was “in.” With the dream to one day write books of my own, to say I was excited about this news would be an understatement. My name and my story were going to be included in Jeff’s book.
Jeff’s been gracious enough to let me share my story below. You can find it at the end of Chapter 4.
Only being twenty-six, the phrase I’ve heard for many years goes something like “you have plenty of time to gain experience.” That was all good and well, but they didn’t know what I knew. I mean, I’m a fairly smart person with a level head on my shoulders. But everyone else seemed to think I needed to “wait” to move forward. Wait to apply for a higher-level job. Wait to write a book. Wait to speak on “that” topic. Wait to get married. Wait to have kids. Wait, wait, wait. What “wait” meant to me then was, “We don’t think you know anything.”
Now, I can look back and see what they mean. More time simply means more experiences. More time allows for more reflection—on not just the silly things I’ve done, but the smart things as well. Now, I’m able to approach things better than I did a few years ago. I’ve spent time networking, reading, listening, working, thinking, and praying. All of this helped me realize what the wait meant—time developing me.
Here’s the lesson. I hate waiting. I want to be in the “better” phase—the accomplished phase—now. But I’m not ready for that. I’m still growing. And even when I reach the next level, I’ll go right back into the world of waiting…and that’s ok. That’s where we spend time becoming our best. Over the past months, I’ve started embracing the wait and learning to live with my impatience. There’s always something to learn in the in-between.
If you’re interested in The In-Between, it comes out on August 1st (but you can pre-order it now using that affiliate link).
I want to leave you with one final note from the book. One that I know I relate to, and one that you might be able to as well.
I’ve spent my whole life longing for the next season, hoping better things would come when I graduated or got married or gave my life to a career worthy of my talents. But now I’m not sure holding out for what’s to come is the smartest strategy. And I have a feeling that I’m not alone.
What are you waiting for? Share with me in the comments!
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