During this, seemingly never-ending, period of restrictions to our freedom to socialise and partake of culinary and entertainment pleasures, we have needed to exercise restraint and patience. Calmly waiting…
After a while, we started ‘looking-forward’ to getting back to ‘normal’. This begged the question about what we mean by ‘normal’. There arose the distinction between ‘normal, normal’ and ‘new normal’. With this came the realisation that we cannot go back to what we took for granted as ‘normal, normal’. It’s gone. It’s past. There is only the future that is before us, whether we like it or not. It will be different and the scale and pace of change will be immense. We instinctively fear change as it brings uncertainty, but if we were allowed to constantly be in the status quo, we would decline in boredom! Change brings the opportunity for personal growth and new experiences of what the world has to offer us.
However, ‘looking-forward’ infers waiting for future events to happen or perhaps even longing for them. Waiting. How much of life is given to waiting? It’s a curious way to waste the most precious resource we have. But there’s waiting and waiting. The former is just a pause in the natural flow of life. A time to take a breath, or a brief moment of reflection. It may be to allow others to catch up, or for synchronicity to unfold. It is hardly perceptible and seems brief.
Then there’s the seemingly unending, stressful, frustrating, unplanned dire w a i t i n g! The bus, train or plane is late or delayed. The other person has not shown up yet. Someone else has not delivered. There is no information. We are in the dark. In the unknown. We have been let down, been taken for granted and not respected. We may even feel angry. Things have not turned out how we planned. We are left feeling powerless. Who can we blame? Anyone and everyone, but ourselves!
The reality is that we are powerless over others and we cannot and do not ultimately control events. To see and understand this reality takes acceptance. When we gain this acceptance, our expectations fall away and we no longer have disappointment. We can also regain our power – over ourselves. We do not need to be dependent upon other people or events for our own wellbeing. We are waiting no longer. Just pausing in life’s flow.
When the mind engages with a set out-come, we immediately imprison ourselves. If we accept the fluidity of life and go with it, then surprising things are allowed to happen. Trusting that everything is for a reason and following our natural life-stream, we can continue on a new path and are not confined to waiting any longer. We free ourselves to be available to live.
Are you willing to fly or are you still waiting?
Go well, in joy and safety!