Waiting…it can have its benefits, but like most people, it’s sometimes difficult to wait for something you truly want.  I see this, especially with the younger generation.  Perhaps their lack of time management and understanding what’s involved or lack of experience become the road blocks.

As I grew up, I often had to wait for something and often, that waiting just became a waste of time since we were not raised in a family with immediate access to the latest and greatest styles of clothes, toys, games or electronics.  This was simply something I had to accept. Wait… forget it, or find a way to get it myself.

When I began working straight out of high school, I earned enough money to live on my own and eventually go to college.  Here, the waiting for a degree became ever so paramount the closer I got.  I was promoted in my work several times and somehow that brought me more responsibilities and more money but came with a price tag far beyond the dollar figure. I wanted my degree,  I wanted a new career, I wanted to do many things, but this wait kept interfering with me.

Today, after many years of hard work, persistence, and patience, that waiting game brought me two college degrees, a house, a family and more tasks than I can complete in a single day.

“Hurry up and wait” I often heard my Dad say to me on more than one occasion. Sometimes the wisdom of the older generation actually had merit to it.  While being young and waiting for things or situations, I realized that I had to take action in order to make things happen for me.  While my college degree could not be rushed, I went to summer school in my graduate degree and traveled internationally to speed up my wait.

While my priorities may have shifted to my children and family duties, I still have a desire to make things happen and waiting isn’t going to bring me closer to that goal. I have to be patient and understand that life happens, but if I don’t take action and push myself when I have to, then all I will be doing is waiting for that next train taking me to a job downtown like it used to several years ago.

Today my “Wait” is now in my background and “take action” is in the foreground.