Learning to Wait Our Turn

 Waiting in the wings is never easy.  Speaking from the I, waiting often leads to worry for me...will I actually get a chance?  is there something that I can contribute?  what if I am called on and disappoint?  what if everyone else does it better than I do?  

In her key-note speech, Elizabeth Gilbert touched on this topic and it really resonated with me.  She said that we can't all be busy and be call on at the same time.  Much like a ballroom dance, there are some folks out dancing, some who may be helping others to dance and others who are waiting their turn.  When we try to find a way to be always on or always in action we lose the ability to listen and notice the times when our unique skills are actually required.  And I am not talking about purpose here, I am talking about unique, innate skills and abilities that we all have and often we deny exist.  You may not have any idea of what this skill or ability is right now, and that's okay.  If you are able to stay open and believe that your time to dance is coming, you will know what to do when you are needed.

Yes, this is a bit on the woo-woo side of things, which should be no surprise to anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile now.  I absolutely believe that there are times when we just "know" that we are needed and we gravitate towards a person or group and are able to lend a hand or skill towards the greater good.  Believing that this is a possibility and exists is the first step in inviting this into your life.

When I was on the run this morning, I noticed how this idea of taking turns and waiting plays out with other beings in nature.  Spring has finally sprung where I live and evidence of it is in the many plants that have started to decorate the neighbourhoods.  What I found interesting was the stage of bloom that the various plants and trees are in.  Some flowering trees are in their glory while others are just starting to show green buds.  Some early season flowers have bravely poked their heads out of the earth and have started to bloom, while many other seeds and bulbs remain dormant for now.  I feel fairly confident in saying that I can't imagine the plants who haven't started to bloom yet feeling a sense of stress that the other plants are flowering while they are not.  (Side note - this does strike me as a great story line for a children's picture book about late bloomers and how we all have a chance to shine....)  Instead of feeling stressed at not having flowers and greenery to show and be admired, I am sure that the plants who are waiting their turn are confident in their ability to bloom when the time is right for them.  Imagine the space and freedom that same line of thinking could create in our lives?

We live in a time when we are bombarded with images of many folks who seem to be in constant bloom, no matter the season, which makes it hard to feel that same confidence about our own calling.  And as many times as we are reminded that social media is not reality, sometimes it can be hard to remember that fact.  So what do we do from here?  Take a walk in nature and observe the dance taking place between the blooming beings and the ones waiting their turn.  Believe that we too follow the same rules and regardless of whether or not you are blossoming now or will be at a later date, know that whatever you bring to the world will be exactly what is needed, when it is needed the most.  

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