WAITING

 I've been thinking about this for days… well, not just days, but for a long time… about waiting.

We often find ourselves in situations where we have to wait—for something or someone. It seems to me that waiting is difficult for many people. We don't like waiting. We want everything immediately, without delays, or at least we want an answer—either yes or no—but we dislike being in uncertainty and just waiting. Waiting often feels like wasting time.

However, I’ve noticed that sometimes, even this waiting time can be used for something, and then it doesn’t feel like wasted time at all.

For example, when I’m standing in line, I observe what’s happening around me. I look at people, the hat of the person in front of me, and I wonder how well that color would suit a dear friend of mine, how difficult it might be to knit such a hat, or how much it would cost—was it handmade or machine-made? My thoughts wander to trivial things, yet I find many of them interesting in that moment.

I also notice the items on the shelves, their prices, the colors of the boxes, or the posters I usually pass by without a glance. In short, instead of getting frustrated or trying to figure out how to skip ahead, I wait and use the time to look around, think about things, listen to music, or hum to myself (because I really love music). I don’t stare at people; I just observe, like others do… but I don’t get annoyed.

There’s a principle that fits this idea well, one taught by Silo from his book the Silo's Message, which says:

"7.   If you pursue an end, you enchain yourself. If everything you do is realized as though it were an end in itself, you liberate yourself."

                       by Rafael Edwards

And it’s not just this one principle that resonates with this feeling or experience. Another one says:

"2.   When you force something toward an end, you produce the contrary."

                        by Rafael Edwards

So I’m trying to understand and apply these principles in my life, even in small, everyday situations. Of course, there are much bigger, even dramatic moments when it’s good to remember them. Sometimes, no matter how much we want to speed up events or time, they move along their own path—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Meanwhile, there’s so much we can do to give meaning to these seemingly “empty” or “useless” moments, hours, or days. We might even learn something we hadn’t considered before or discover something we didn’t notice existed.

Interestingly, in these moments, if we aren’t “hurrying” or “fretting,” things may stand out to us precisely because we need them or because the chaos and noise of daily life had previously prevented them from catching our attention. Perhaps they are incredibly useful or meaningful for us, or they inspire us in some way—just when we’re finally quiet enough to notice them.

Modern life pushes us into a relentless rush, leaving us little time to pause, look around, and marvel at things, to realize that there’s a world here and to see what this world is like.

These are the thoughts I wanted to share because I often notice how stressed and impatient people become when they have to wait—even for a short while—and how that frustration sometimes leads them to treat others harshly.

I’m not saying I never lose my patience. If I’ve promised to meet someone and I’m running late, or I’ve made a promise and can’t keep it, I get very anxious because I don’t like disappointing others or causing them inconvenience. But it happens, and in those moments, even if I’m upset, I eventually have to come to terms with the situation, accept that I’m human and imperfect, and realize others are the same.

I have no control over events or other people, so I try to make the best of the situation without adding to the problem with resentment or by harshly blaming myself for my mistakes.