Life consists of a lot of rushing around to get somewhere to end up waiting. Wait times vary from a few seconds to hours. Life is full of wait times. Prime locations for waiting are doctor’s offices, retail stores, elevators, and traffic lights. With online shopping the initial purchase may be immediate but then one has to wait for the package to be delivered. Instant gratification is not so instant. Next day delivery is so popular because waiting an extra day to get your goods can seem excruciating.
Waiting offers a variety of experiences from peaceful awareness to impatience to fear-filled dread. Few of us take a moment to feel blissful happiness in the midst of our day. Waiting time gives us the opportunity to do that. It does no harm, and potentially immeasurable good, to take those moments to let go of everything and bask in the glorious relaxation of breathing away our stresses.
It is easy to get caught up in our own internal drama or the drama of those around us. Waiting for a possible feared disease diagnosis, we imagine the worst. Our very survival is threatened. Fears and anxieties build as time ticks slowly forward. The unknown result is experienced negatively before it happens. It is expected that we act in this manner. Be afraid of bad things happening. Don’t get too excited about looking forward to something good happening. There are few that treasure the moment as it is and live from that vantage point.
A person in line at the grocery store has a problem with processing their payment or a coupon not being accepted. The clerk calls for the manager to assist. The manager is unaware that her attention is needed. Time ticks by. What is the hold up? Others don’t even need to be in a hurry to start to grumble. Just the idea of being held up for any reason is enough to aggravate them. They start looking around to see if another line is moving faster. Who’s to say there won’t be any delays at a different register?
Who hasn’t caught up to a car, that zipped past you, on the road at the next stop light? Did their rushing get them where that are going faster? Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. Do they wait for the light to change with patience or start creeping into the intersection before the light changes? Or beeping their horn at the car in front of them the moment the light changes? Sudden starts and stops create more wear and tear on a vehicle. Rushing around to wait in aggravation creates wear and tear on the human mind and body.
Those moments of time when we are forced to wait for reasons seemingly beyond our control are the perfect moments to take a moment to quiet the mind and relax. Meditate for a moment. Meditation does not have to be a practice of sitting in one spot in a specific position for a specific amount of time. Breathe in. Relax. Breathe out. Relax. Repeat in the waiting time at hand.
Every moment we are able to let go of the stresses of the day increases the benefits to our health and well-being. We do not have to accumulate stress throughout the day and wait to get home to release it. Release stress as it arises every time there is a moment to wait. There can be much peace and relaxation waiting in that next elevator ride.
Take advantage of waiting in line. Life is full of opportunities for blissful relaxation.