Stress and Joy of Waiting

 

                 Stress and Joy of Waiting

 

“You usually have to wait for that which is worth waiting for.”                                                                   -Craig Bruce

Waiting, normally is referred to as, “to wait for something to happen”. There are other meanings also attached to this word but in this blog we are more concerned about this particular meaning and its ramifications.

The life on this wonderful planet is based on number of concepts and “waiting” is one of them: we may agree or not: nothing happens in a jiffy. Parents have to wait for their offspring for full nine months: this is the journey, the offspring has to undergo before he is free and the parents get a son or a daughter: but this journey despite all the issues is worth the wait both for the parents as well as their offspring: a “mother” is also born along with the baby and it makes a “couple” a “family”. Nature gives you fruits, vegetables, grains, dry fruits, pulses and so many other things but we have to wait for the season to come and harvest to ripe. “Urge to create” was present in the space, obviously much before the Universe was created and still being created and as soon as conditions were ripe enough it happened and Universe came into being: even the Lord had to wait before the Universe came into existence; perhaps He waited for billions of years. Wait makes beautiful and wonderful things to happen: a student becomes an engineer or Doctor, architect, accountant, scientist, administrator and what not. Wait is perhaps always worth it.   

Waiting is a wonderful activity but it is not everybody’s cup of tea to enjoy waiting in other words to prepare himself for the result of waiting. First ingredient of waiting is that one should have the patience to wait for the things to happen: the opportune time, every time is not always opportune time: however don’t sit idle do whatever is required to be done that will keep you engaged and stress miles away: another is the conviction - crystal clear - one has about the purpose “yes” that it is worth waiting: if one has no such conviction “failure” written on the wall and “stress” written on forehead are sure to happen and thirdly he must have firm faith in the process being followed for the things to happen like examination and declaration of result. If these thing are not there one feels stress and is frustrated: result is, he tries to find out ways and means to jump the queue which many a times are unfair: if successful it gives him joy and if he is unable to jump he is in for stress.

“Somebody” is waiting for you: it is great privilege: you are wanted: you are loved and showered affection: you are useful and your company is worth the wait: they know what they get in your company: they appreciate you in your presence: for them you are special and unique: that is respect, regards and heed for you.

Waiting is not necessarily in time; it can anything; for example if you are taking your meals there is somebody keeping an eye on your plate to ensure that you are served what you need before you ask for and serve you what you like most that is also waiting and that shows how much you are being cared for and what regard that person has for you and if nothing like these aspect is there, it is your usefulness that makes him to wait for you: just as a hotel staff does for you because you are their bread and butter tips too.

Waiting has to have some purpose, some aim, some end in view and that too valid and natural one: waiting can’t be blank that is against the law of nature - that man is always in action even when he is in sleep. Blank wait is destructive and too long a wait melts the personality as wax melts in presence of heat.

We should be ready to receive what we are waiting for: with the same love, affection, kindness, compassion, respect, regards, devotion, dedication, integrity, labour, trust that it deserves then it brings to us bliss, solace, satisfaction, happiness, inner glow, pride and one is proud of whatever one receives after the wait, otherwise that would bring to us the bickering, misery, distrust, separation, stress, distress, anger, irritation and above all negativity all round in life and action. Do not disown what you receive after the wait: it is insult to your effort as well as to His system of reward.

“Whatever we are waiting for — peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance — it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.”                                                                  

                                                             – Sarah Ban Breathnach

Waiting has in it the element of luck or one can say blessings of the Lord sought to be strengthened by our prayers: whenever we wait for: the result of an exam we pray to him for good news: when somebody is on the operation table, luck: the Lord plays His part as the miracles do happen in most adverse circumstances.

Waiting for love is the essence of life on this planet. Life, Love, and waiting are three concept which regulate our living on this planet and are very complex and interdependent. Life starts with love and completed by wait. No matter how long it takes, true love is all worth the wait.

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love time is eternity.

                                                                            Henry Van Dyke

Waiting for loved ones and its rightful culmination has its own charm the stress comes when they do not turn up despite the messages, veiled pleadings, and the discomfort one is going through: and it causes distress when dear ones come to your to town and go back to their settlement even without seeing you.

There are always “ifs” and “buts”, between when the wait starts and when the wait ends: some in your hands: some in the hands of others: still some others in the hands of circumstances, nature, atmosphere and still others unforeseen, sudden, abrupt etc. Solve those in your hand in a masterly manner: never depend on others as whatever you need, would also be important to others when you need it most that would be most disgusting and cause of pain.

Sometime some people leave everything to the Lord and wait for his blessings: God helps those who help themselves: Lord Krishna in Bhagwat Gita say do your duty and leave the reward to me. Action is more important than wait. Continue to do what is within your means and capacities you would rewarded.

Sometimes people mix arrogance with waiting: that is very dangerous mix: waiting has in it element of positivity as it presumes reasonable action before waiting whereas arrogance is total negativity for example when a person presumes he is capable of something in reality he is not. Such like attitude spoils life and careers too, in addition creates stress for others.

 “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”                                  – Abraham Lincoln

Waiting is part of life but do not make waiting a way of life.