Wait your way to success.

I spent a good time today talking to a good friend about waiting. About waiting in line, waiting with patience, about waiting with hope. Most people would tell you that you can't wait for success, that if you're waiting for success to happen then you don't quite "get it" and you may never realize that success, I however disagree. I think waiting, and waiting well is a stepping stone along the road of success. 

Think about times that you're waiting in your life, waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting for a new movie to come out, waiting on that special someone at home, who never seems to get ready quite as quickly as you think that they should. These are passive kinds of waiting, the waiting where you're checking your watch, the calendar, or tapping your foot. These are the kinds of waiting that you want to avoid on the path to success. Think about the time that you spend waiting over the course of the week whether it's in the pursuit of something mentioned above, or something else, like waiting in traffic during your morning commute, or waiting at the post office, think about those times, and think about how you could change the way that you wait. 

Most people will tell you that they "don't have any time", and while it's true that we live in a fast paced, "always-on-the-go" society, don't let people fool you, but more importantly don't fool yourself with the lie that you don't have any time. The truth is everyone, rich, poor, old, young, black, white, tall, or short, we all have the exact same amount of hours in the day, no matter how much money, power, prestige, or clout you ever gain, you will always and forever only have 24 hours in the day. The difference between those that achieve, and those that don't is how they use that 24 hours, and don't think that the successful don't wait, they simply wait differently than the rest of us. 

Instead of standing in the grocery line, thumbing through the tabloids, checking to see who Prince William is dating now, or how many legs the latest baby found at Roswell has, consider striking up a conversation with the people in line with you, reach out, make contact, make a new friend. You never know what may spring up from a conversation with a stranger, the possibilities are literally endless. If you're in traffic, why not take that time to listen to something that enriches your life, make phone calls that could advance your dream, or spend it in quiet meditation, something other than listening to the inane prattle of talk radio, or pop music.

Change some of these small things in your life and all of a sudden you'll find yourself "waiting" in an entirely different way, you'll be taking charge of your dreams, your goals, and making progress towards them, all the while "waiting" in the certainty that your success will be achieved, and it is that process of "waiting" actively that will help you achieve you success.

So next time your find yourself "in line" waiting on your success, strike up a conversation, reach out, and do something proactive. Wait for your success with a certainty of purpose, with a conviction that you will not be stopped, and console yourself in the fact that it's only through waiting that greatness is achieved.