Waiting? That is sheer lack of a plan

Sometimes when I talk to people and ask what they are doing, they say they are waiting. Waiting for what?

One of the biggest deceptions of our time is that waiting is an activity. As a result, many people justify idleness by describing it as “waiting”.

The farmer does not plant the seeds and then wait for them to grow and yield produce. He has to water them and remove the weeds from the farm so that he may get what he expects.

When I proposed to my wife 23 years ago, she gave me a big “NO”. I had popped the question (the seed) but the ground was apparently hostile. So, I had to get to work. I suddenly became romantic.

I discovered what interested her and I applied myself to it. I would drive two hours every Sunday to carry her to church, never mind that it was only a 15-minute walk from her house. This may sound foolish, but there was a song those days titled, “Why do fools fall in love”.

The truth is that even if you are not a fool when you start the process, love has the capacity to make fools out of the greatest. But the twist comes when you get what you are after. What appeared like foolishness comes out as wisdom.

Anyway, the good news is that I conquered and we have been married for 22 years now. Had I just sat down waiting and hoping that she would see me as a suitable husband, I would still be waiting.

GREAT DREAMS

A lot of people have had great dreams, but their dreams never took off simply because they were waiting. They were in a state of inactivity, hoping that by some stroke of luck, things would suddenly take shape.

Some people wait for perfect conditions, while others create the conditions they want through their actions and decisions.

Whatever your dream, you need to make yourself ready. Waiting is not part of that preparation. No one wins by waiting.

PREPARATION TIME

The gap between when you identify the dream and the day it materialises is preparation time and not waiting time.

Every woman who has been pregnant knows that one doesn’t just wait. From the day they discover they are pregnant to the day of delivery, a lot of preparation is done – clinic visits, exercise, diet, Lamaze classes, and much more, besides the financial preparation.

Waiting has never been a strategy, and so I am amazed at the number of people who just sit down today and wait. They wait for customers to look for them. They wait for money to come and find them. Many times, this is the main difference between the winners and the losers.

VERY SUCCESSFUL

A very popular recording artist launched his career by hawking his own CD’s from door to door. Today, he has sold millions and is very successful.

When he was starting, there were others who had been in the field longer, but they were waiting and hoping to be discovered. They never were. 

Idleness is the manifestation of a frozen mind. Have you not heard of a verse that says a living dog is better than a dead lion?

So please, get up. Bark. Bite. Just do something to show that you are alive. And whatever you do, waiting or inactivity must not be part of the strategy.