For most of last week, I waited.

My mother was admitted to the hospital on Sunday night, and over the course of days went to near death; to intensive care; on the a regular hospital unit; and finally to a skilled nursing facility to rehabilitate. That one sentence doesn’t do justice to the events in between. However, the most constant activity was waiting. I won’t bore you with the multitude of things I waited for, but at the end, I spent much time waiting for the transport to arrive to take my mother to the nursing facility. As I waited there, I was reminded of two things. The first was a flashback to my Freshman Literature class where I read the Samuel Beckett classic, Waiting for Godot. Somehow, I felt connected to Vladimir and Estragon during their seemingly endless wait. I also found that Tom Petty’s 1970’s musical standard, The Waiting is the Hardest Part, got stuck in my brain.

And so goes waiting…

In business (and in life), we also seem to spend energy waiting for – good news, bad news, promotion, new sale, new job, opening, closing, moving, new equipment, payment, new baby, new pet, kid coming from college, kid leaving the house, marriage, divorce, vacation, event, success, failure. You get my point.

I’m not sure I have an answer for waiting, but consider this suggestion as you do find yourself deep into it. You can wait with only one one of three frames of mind – happy, frustrated, or bored. Two of them are bad and you don’t need me to tell you which ones. Find something to keep you amused, interested, positive, and happy. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Fortunately, my iPhone allows me to play games, respond to emails, text my daughters, and even watch video. I used up a lot of power over the week! Be prepared to wait. It happens often to us. Be prepared to choose the “happy” option or the after effects of the other two become detrimental to your overall mental and physical health. Just ask Vladimir and Estragon…

© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

This week’s quote –
“There is man in his entirety, blaming his shoe when his foot is guilty.”
–  Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot

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