Waiting for Nothing

For me this was at it’s most relevant a few years ago, as I was rushing between my office and the nursery: willing the bus to arrive, drive faster, silently shouting at passengers to hurry up getting on or off, staring at the lights to turn green, etc… The stress was intense, the nursery fees for a late pick up, too! Even the memory of it makes me feel tense, as I think about it now, years later.

The thought that I could chose to let go of this stress, was liberating.
Once I realised, that my behaviour and racing thoughts had absolutely no influence on the situation, it wouldn’t make the lights change any faster, no matter how often I counted down 3,2,1, GO! it only put me into heart pumping anxiety and often aggression for about 30 mins each day.
For nothing.

Clearly, in this case, leaving a bit more time for the travel, is an obvious answer, [and repeatedly writing to the local bus service asking when they will ever run a reliable, punctual time table?] but there were many other moments when I found myself getting irritated and impatient with where I was, because I wanted to be elsewhere. Prime trigger: queues.

Just drop it. Why do it to yourself?

Instead look around, enjoy the ride, do a raindrops race on the window, think about what made you laugh out loud recently. You will get there, when you get there. A few minutes earlier or later.
If you’re late, let the concerned people know, and let that be so. [Just don’t make a habit out of it, it’s so disrespectful.]
Seriously: Don’t get run over because you were in a rush, what a waste that would be.

Nowadays, any queue is an opportunity for a yoga MOUNTAIN POSE for me.
Standing tall, breathing calmly, shoulders dropped, poised, ready to take a step at anytime, surveying my queendom from atop of the mountain.

Not waiting, just being.