Just Waiting . . .

Have you ever had the feeling that you're just waiting for something to happen? You know deep down that there's something, right around the corner, just waiting to burst into your life, bringing changes with it. It's a feeling of anticipation, hope, mild excitement and curiosity. You're not even sure what it really is - but SOMETHING is going to happen. You can feel the energy moving into the spaces around you. Sometimes you're mildly impatient waiting for things to pop. Sometimes you're downright anxious waiting for 'something to happen'. More and more, I'm realizing the truth in the thought that Timing is Everything and, for me, patience may be the hardest lesson to learn. A friend of mine called last week mildly frustrated (which usually means anxious) that her husband's beautiful art work was taking so long to really catch hold and start selling like hot cakes. "But I just know something's going to happen soon, and when it does, it'll be big", she said. It's almost as though someone's hit a delay switch and is holding everything up. They've done everything they can. The work is unique and lovely, they've done all the promoting, it's in a gallery in Manhattan - but the Universe is still at work. Teaching. Another friend emailed me that after months of frustration with a project involving photography, after months of wondering where this was going, and even if it had hit a stone wall - something stirred - and the right people showed up, with all the know-how she was lacking, and the project began moving forward. Timing. When the pupil is ready, the teacher will come. For weeks and then months, I worried, freaked out about the publishing of the second book and all the things I didn't know. All the frustrations built up, then came a few successes when I thought, AHA! Success is just around the corner! And then got slammed down to earth again when everything went wrong. But when the timing was right, everything fell into place and the book was done. It was only then that I could look back at the whole experience and realize I'd just been coached through a powerful learning experience. What I've learned is that no matter how hard we try we can't hurry Perfect Timing. No matter what it is - whether it's something you're working on, or just a feeling that something's going to happen, it happens in it's own time. And if we try to rush it, we'll probably fall short, or maybe even flat on our faces. There are steps to be taken, small steps that we may not even be aware of at the time. Invisible forces propelling us towards a goal even though we don't know what they are or where they come from. It's part of paving the way to the next event. The way must be clear, the road signs must be in place and only then can we begin to move forward. There are universal building blocks that have to fall into place. Often involving other people and their life paths. Universal blocks that are similar to those brightly colored children's blocks with ABC's printed on them. The ABC's of teaching and learning. Funny that we call them 'blocks'. Running into road blocks. My mind is blocked. Something's blocking the course ... Not so. They seem more like delay switches to me, to give us time to smooth the way, negotiate the obstacles, work with the universe o many levels and set the wheels in motion. And when the timing is right, the brightly colored, clearly sign-posted blocks will tumble into place, almost miraculously, and everything will begin to move forward - maybe in the way you expected, and maybe not. But it is moving at last. And remember this: "Nothing is either good or bad - only thinking makes it so." That was Will Shakespeare. Another great teacher. I wish for you and me; Patience, Hope and Fun today!