We’ve all experienced waiting for something. You might be waiting for the perfect relationship. Maybe you’re waiting for a promotion at work. Or perhaps you’re just waiting in traffic. In any case, waiting can be hard. Tom Petty said, “the waiting is the hardest part.”
I’ve been waiting for something to change. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not just waiting without having taken some action. I have taken action. I’ve been applying for multiple jobs in several regions of the US. I’ve done several interviews. I believe I’m a top candidate for an offer in a couple of places as we speak. But I’m still waiting.
Why do we wait?
I’m nearing the retirement age. I’ve worked as a college professor for more than 20 years. I’m still teaching part time. But I’m also waiting on possible full time academic advising positions. But why? Why do we wait?
In many cases, we wait because we believe we have to. And in some cases that is true. If you don’t wait at the red light, you might wind up dead. We wait for paychecks. We wait for the stock market to change. We wait for retirement. We wait. But what if we stopped waiting and just started doing?
So yes, I’m going to keep waiting for a call from a college for potential employment. It’s probably in my best interest to work full time for a few more years before I retire. If one of these current positions doesn’t come through, I’ll probably keep applying for more positions and waiting to hear back from them.
But in the meantime, do I really have to wait? No.
Waiting causes anxiety, but so does change.
When I was in my late teens and early 20s I wanted to be a rock and roll star. I recorded demos and sent them to record labels and publishers. I waited to hear back. Instead of moving to the places where the music industry thrived, I waited. It wasn’t until I was almost 30 before I conjured up the confidence to go to Nashville. Why? Because change is scary, it creates anxiety. But so does waiting.
Now that I’m older and have more financial stability, I find myself in a similar predicament. If I want to move to New York, Nashville, Memphis, or even Montreal, I could. But it also might be financially risky. So, instead of just making that choice, I seek jobs in places I might desire and I wait.
I think something is on the verge. Maybe, I’ll get the call tomorrow, or maybe next week. But what if I don’t? Then what? Then maybe it’s time to stop waiting and just do. Maybe I’ll just move anyway. Perhaps we should all be willing to live life a bit more on our own terms. Why keep waiting? – dse
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