If You Were Waiting For A Sign, This Is It

What is it that you’re waiting for, exactly? Do you believe in perfect timing, all the stars aligning, and then you will know the time is right? Can I kindly tell you that I do not believe there is a precise “right time” for anything? Life just happens. Life is. It changes every second of every day. There are very few constants. Yes, some actions and life events may have opportune timings, but if they don’t happen when you think they should does that make them any less right?

I can come up with a list of reasons why now is not the “right time” to do any number of things. It would be called a list of excuses. A list of possibilities you come up with in your head to talk yourself out of doing something you actually want to do. Why else would you have thought to do it in the first place? It’s very likely a list of things you are afraid of and/or things that could go wrong. But does that make it any less worthwhile, just because it has potential downsides? I think not. Nearly every action in this world comes along with a fine list of pros and cons. Granted, some actions are more one-sided than others. If you’re going to make a list, trying finding some pros to accompany any current excuses. Show yourself there are indeed some reasons why now is the “right time.”

If you don’t know what you’re waiting for, what happens if you miss it? What if right now is that perfect time, your one chance, and you miss it because it’s not what you were expecting? Expectations are the enemy of reality. So many times we build up scenarios in our mind of how we want a situation to play out. We create full scripts and story lines, only to become frustrated when, in actuality, the person we imagined having this scene with doesn’t follow their lines. You know why they don’t? Because they were not given a copy of your expectations.

How many times in your life have you been disappointed because something did not go as planned? How many times have you looked back and thought, “that’s not what was supposed to happen”? Disappointment is the sour aftertaste of having had expectations. If you are waiting for the “right time” that means you have established deciding factors that will dictate if a time is the right one. That means you have expectations. I would hate for you to be disappointed.

What is holding you back anyway? Why not just go for it?

If you want to be with someone, tell them.

If you miss someone, call them.

If you love someone, tell them.

If you have a goal, accomplish it.

If you don’t have a goal, set one.

If you are at fault, apologize.

If you need support, reach out to someone.

If you need change, make some changes.

The list goes on. There are seemingly simple solutions, and yet here we are, feeling held back. Look yourself in the mirror, and ask yourself, what is holding me back? You can’t walk into a battle blind; you need to know what you are up against. Are the barriers in your way emotional, mental, physical, or financial? Is there a way to overcome these barriers? How will you go about overcoming them?

Oftentimes we are our own worst enemy. We hold ourselves back from actions, especially ones we label as risky, out of fear. Our fears of failure, rejection, loss, pain, confrontation, etc., are common barriers. While these may be justifiable fears in many situations, how do you know they would actually come true? Maybe your fears are only imagined. You can’t know for sure, and you will never know if you don’t try. Personally, the “what if” game I play with myself after I lose out on an opportunity is usually worse than the fear I felt wanting to do it. Who knows what great things great things we could accomplish — if we only let fear get in the way less. A little introspection can go a long way. Determine what your barriers are, and knock them down. If you are waiting for a sign, something must be blocking your view, or else you wouldn’t need a sign to reassure yourself you’re on the right road.

It’s true that good things come to those who wait, and I suppose sometimes timing is everything. However, good things do not come to those who sit around and simply expect good things to happen. Good things come to those who venture out into the world, and make good things happen for themselves. There is a difference between waiting because it is necessary, and waiting because you are anticipating a perfect time. The present is the only time that is guaranteed to us. Tomorrow brings with it the great unknown. Maybe it will be a better time than today, maybe it won’t be. Tomorrow also provides a wonderful excuse to put things off: “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Funny how there always seems to be another tomorrow to dismiss things until. But why not act today? Today is a glorious day. Today is as good a time as any to stop waiting, and start acting.

So, if you were waiting for a sign, maybe this is it.