Close
Close

Receive “Word for the Day” each day in your inbox

See our Privacy Policy

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Menu Gratefulness Donate
Daily Question, January 23

How can you make waiting more of an “art”?

  • Malag

    By catching the thought that I am waiting for something and realising that that could be my steady state, always waiting for the next thing and not being with what’s here. Catching the thought is key for me as is taking a moment to notice what’s going on now.

  • Dusty Su

    There are times I am done with making an “art” of simple life events and states of being. Wait, just simply wait! Of course, I appreciate those who can make an art form of these things, as I have done for 60 years, but this year, enough is enough is enough already. I will wait as if waiting is normal, because it is. When was it never? When did we move away from this?

  • Ose

    To keep still and gratefully stay where and when being invited and first also joyfully has went to, let go of imagined fears and preoccupied assumptions, giving way for possibly working together in friendship of kindred hearts. Expressing that I am really sorry of my hesitation having hurt you. To ask please lets try again, if possible.

  • Hot Sauce

    Artistic activity takes work of the imagination. So maybe the important part of waiting is imagining the possibilities that are present when the waiting is over. That way, I don’t fall into the temptation to despair but see myself having the desire of my heart in the future.

  • Don Jones

    That “al dente” comes from waiting just the right amount of time.

  • Kristi

    I could put my phone away and be mindful of what is going on around me. I could use that moment to reflect on my blessings and work on being in the moment!

  • Javier Visionquest

    Just sittin’ there, “In joy in” my own company

  • Holly in Ohio

    “Waiting” implies we are not making the most of the moment we have. I try not to wait, but instead take whatever “waiting” time as a moment of rest, or a moment to observe what is around me deeper, or to do some necessary task, or to do a little planning. I don’t want any moment to feel wasted.

    But the question also reminds me of something I read about sitting (zazen)… that I should sit like a tiger intent on its prey, highly alert but never pouncing, in that intense moment of “before.”

    • sparrow

      “that I should sit like a tiger intent on its prey, highly alert but never pouncing, in that intense moment of “before.” ”
      I will remember this,
      dear Holly…

      • kaydee444

        Yes – that line leaped out at me. it’s very poetic and strong image that makes much sense x

  • Patricia

    I can quiet my mind and notice who and what’s around me. I could also appreciate that – for these moments – I have (blissfully) nothing I have to do, nothing that is expected of me. How seldom in life that really happens.

  • Pilgrim

    Not sure about the “art” aspect. But in terms of waiting … if I’m waiting for an appointment, I always have a book with me. Waiting for freedom post-pandemic seems to include a lot of cleaning and organizing – followed by donating, watching movies, lots of reading, some exercise. Waiting to have my whole family together again – tears, emails. occasional zoom.

    • Holly in Ohio
      Me also (both Pilgrim and Katrina). Even without work I managed fairly well this year while I was busy farming because the garden dictated the next things I needed to do, but this last month the isolation started to get to me. What's strange is I noticed I'm actually not taking advantage of keeping in touch with friends and family by calling, zoom, emails, but instead have kind of retreated like a turtle. I think it's lack of structure to the days that might be the issue. Right now, if I don...

      Me also (both Pilgrim and Katrina). Even without work I managed fairly well this year while I was busy farming because the garden dictated the next things I needed to do, but this last month the isolation started to get to me. What’s strange is I noticed I’m actually not taking advantage of keeping in touch with friends and family by calling, zoom, emails, but instead have kind of retreated like a turtle. I think it’s lack of structure to the days that might be the issue. Right now, if I don’t want to dress, I don’t have to dress…. who would know? I get up at different times, I eat whenever, and even cleaning, organizing, and those tasks… I can do in any order, or skip. But I think if I find some structure it will help… an online class, a larger goal that needs to be broken down into a goal for each day, a body of art, just some kind of end-goal so that I can build a road to get there. I really appreciate that you connected today’s question with this Covid-time. I had not thought of “waiting” that way, but it is indeed, THE BIG WAIT.

      Read More
    • Katrina

      I’m with you. Not sure it’s an art. But I’m beginning to think of it as ritual. Where can I find meaning in the ritual of the repetitive cleaning, organizing, donating, movie-watching, reading, exercising, cooking and even eating (too much, I might add, for me.) If the definition of ritual is words and actions that are repeated to give meaning to something beyond itself, what meaning is derived from this ritual?

  • Trish

    I can appreciate its beauty: quiet & mysterious all wrapped up in chiffon.

  • Butterfly

    By using the waiting time as an opportunity to meditate. To sit with the perfection of it all. Whatever or whoever you are waiting for will arrive at the right time. It may not seem to be the right time to your impatient mind but it will be absolutely the right time as far as the universe is concerned!

  • Ed Schulte
    Only the egoism of the present-day-personality can get caught up in its own mind -trap called “waiting”. The counter to that mind spinning is referred to currently as “being in the Now”. Joshua Emmanuel the Christ just called it “resting” but that word doesn’t convey his true intent anymore. He was saying to his deciples, “Enter into your Inner time-less Being-ness”.( were all art emanates from ) The I CHING does capture the Art of Being-ness very well…. “Finding himself...

    Only the egoism of the present-day-personality can get caught up in its own mind -trap called “waiting”. The counter to that mind spinning is referred to currently as “being in the Now”. Joshua Emmanuel the Christ just called it “resting” but that word doesn’t convey his true intent anymore. He was saying to his deciples, “Enter into your Inner time-less Being-ness”.( were all art emanates from )

    The I CHING does capture the Art of Being-ness very well….

    “Finding himself, his serene inner flame radiates warmth that draws others near. He does not Do; He just IS.”

    Read More
  • Michele

    What a different question .. hmmm, I’m not sure about the ‘art’ part, but one can sing/hum, draw, write or even observe while waiting. I guess it depends on what you’re waiting for. Artists are artists:)

  • devy

    As they say « patience is a virtue » . Just like an artist who paints a beautiful picture on a canvass one needs to decide or plan what to do, make an appreciation of how they are going to do it, actually doing it even though they know it will take time and that several corrective actions. To simply decide to do something and to do or react without having patience might mean later regrets or having to stop, trash what we have done and start over again which is wasting time .

  • EJP

    Think of waiting as a creation to be appreciated and to empower…an intricate combination of patience, anticipation, anxiety, excitement and apprehension beautifully displayed on a blank canvas for all to see and learn from.

  • sunnypatti

    By finding the opportunity in being able to wait gracefully. By pondering the importance of what it is I’m waiting for. If I can learn to sit with the waiting, perhaps I’ll get better at it!

  • Howie Geib
    I do a lot of waiting in my work as an Uber driver...mostly at traffic signals. There are a few knee jerk functions I do. First is a little internal pep talk about ‘remembering to breathe’ followed by a little game (I have several!): One game is:Who does this rider remind me of? Another: What does this intersection remind me of (often some place far away) And sometimes this: If this were the last few minutes of my life, how would I want to be spending them...in terms of developing in th...

    I do a lot of waiting in my work as an Uber driver…mostly at traffic signals. There are a few knee jerk functions I do. First is a little internal pep talk about ‘remembering to breathe’ followed by a little game (I have several!):

    One game is:Who does this rider remind me of?
    Another: What does this intersection remind me of (often some place far away)
    And sometimes this: If this were the last few minutes of my life, how would I want to be spending them…in terms of developing in the moment some more quality to the presence there in that place…savoring the way the light is filtering through the trees, noticing the faces of people around me etc… like the final scene of a movie or novel…

    Read More
    • Trish

      I love daily games! Life is so much more fun with them. Yours are great….⭐️

    • Michele

      Your games made me smile:) I wish you were an Uber driver on the west side of Florida!

  • Kevin

    If waiting is an art form, then I have failed! I’m not very good at it, actually. I’ll wait to read the collective wisdom of others here. But please, hurry up! 😊

This site is brought to you by A Network for Grateful Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are fully tax deductible in the U.S.A.

DONATE https://gratefulness.org/content/uploads/2015/03/GX-Gold-Participant-L.png

© 2000 - 2021, A Network for Grateful Living

Website by Briteweb

We are delighted to announce the release of Kristi Nelson’s book Wake Up Grateful

0

Your Cart