Now, this is a word with which I really struggle, saying it, but also the idea of it’s value to other people. I’ve never been a quiescent person. On the contrary I’ve been a hit the ground running person. I’ve never believed in wasting one minute getting started. Perhaps you’re the same way, “there’s no time like the present”, “why put off until tomorrow what can be over today”, “a stitch in time, saves nine”, “short as life is, we make it still shorter by the careless waste of time”, and so on…. Most everything I venture into I have great anticipation built up, ready to deploy at a moments notice of the bell. It’s similar to when the gate opens at the horse races. For most of my life, when going into projects, I’ve been standing in the gates waiting for daaaaays or weeeeeks to get started! If you don’t think standing in the gates builds up intense anticipation you’re not my kind of people. That’s OK, cause you don’t need to be, I’m just trying to paint a picture of how it looks to me. Quiescence is definitely not one of my virtues, matter of fact I struggle with the idea of calling it a virtue. On the other hand though, I can be very patient. Like right now I’ve been waiting on a banker for two and a half months. No problem! But when the gate opens….. dammit! It’s time to GO!!!
My son is quite the opposite, there’s very little anticipation in his mind. The gate opens and he’s looking at all of the people in the stands, the jockeys riding off, the commotion around the inside of the track. He has always run his OWN race in his own time. When he’s driving, you get there when he’s good and ready. We will have been waiting for weeks to start a project, not only will he not be ready to run when the gate opens, he’ll still be planning the start. He likes things to unfold before him then decide where to be.
I just can’t!!! I used to be very impatient. I remember this guy from the gas company stopping by after I had reset the gas meter at my house and he was commenting on how it was to low to the ground. I was irritated, “What?” a stupid thing to say. I blew a gasket and started to dig it up to make him happy because he was talking about charging me to fix it. Well I hit the plastic pipe and made it leak. It cost me a bunch more. It’s so far from my understanding of how things should go. Don’t stand there talking stupid to me wasting a life, don’t delay me because you don’t understand. Step back and let the train roll.
Don’t wait! You don’t have the time, live NOW! Now is the time for everything! One minute not getting things done is a minute I’ll never get back and a minute we’ll never be able to do anything with again! I know, one day you’ll be old looking back on all the things you could have done and didn’t, wishing you DID!
Go out right now and DO something for someone, maybe even yourself,
Greg