What to do while waiting....

Waiting requires patience.....delayed gratification....recognizing that hard work will create a bigger reward than instant gratification... or that time is needed to prepare for changes that are coming...

As a younger woman, even as a child, I had visions that being an adult meant being able to get my own way. I didn't realize that often it is, one or the other, not both. I may be thrilled with a bargain I have found, but the household budget might not have room for it this month. Or I may have to choose between buying clothes, or going to a movie. Being an adult sure isn't the glamorous, self-satisfying experience I thought it would be. Sure, I could choose to blow all my/our money on frivolous activities, clothes, furniture, and expensive restaurants. However, it leaves little for the future, satisfying for the moment, but then to meet that need for excitement and adventure, I  have to keep fulfilling the need for newer, better, and faster. I have come to the conclusion that someone will always have more, or better or fancier, its not worth any competition. Maybe my goals are different and it sure isn't worth the competition and letting someone else s decisions to have such power over my own decisions... Waiting is on my mind lately, because it seems my entire adult life that is all I have done. College, though I enjoyed it, I was quite poor, ok, painfully poor. It was difficult just getting through the four years to get my degree. I see how much other young adults enjoyed their college experience, and realize those moments weren't for me. I have come to peace with it. I started my first full-time job, while it seemed others moved up faster, I don't for a moment think that they did it better than I. I worked as hard as I could, to bring as much positive regard to the company I worked for as I could. I moved onto a different job last year when advancing within that company wasn't going to happen. Its not often that things are laid out that clearly for an employee... so I don't regret my decision to move on. My professional growth after leaving, figuratively exploded, so I have come to peace that that as well. I met my husband when I was 25 years old. It was over five years, since I thought I had a possibility at a serious relationship with a young man. Talk about questions. Talk about waiting. Very literally I  had to come to the conclusion that I might not marry, and start to move on with my life. I bought a condo with two bedrooms in Aug. of 2005. In Oct of 2005, I met my husband and we married in late 2006. In January of 2007, we had too much stuff for a two bedroom condo. Sometimes perception isn't reality. :) Three months after we were married,  I discovered that we had more debt than I knew about, when we totaled everything up, it was over $30,000.00 in debt. OVERWHELMING!! to a newlywed couple. It took us 15 months to pay it all off, that wait was excruciating. Especially when you watch every dollar go to someone else's pocket. I watch women I know waiting for babies, some on bedrest, some just anxious. Waiting is hard....


Some suggestions from a professional at waiting:

Read as much as you can about your dream changes: Learn about parenting, getting out of debt, your college text books, etc.

Take Classes or talk to a mentor

Get Counseling to deal with any issues that will make dealing with change harder (because change is what you are really hoping for).

Exercise (except for those on bedrest): it will help manage all the cortisol and adrenaline rushing around your body causing weird anxiety and angry responses towards people close to you.