Remember that time in early elementary school when you learned how chickens hatch?
You may have had an incubator in your classroom where you patiently watched the eggs, hoping for some sign of life. Until one day, a tiny beak would begin to break through, peck by peck, until the shell gave way to a soggy baby bird 🐣
At last, the wait was over!
An early lesson in trusting the process.
And not the last time you’d be waiting for something to happen.
Maybe you’re waiting to hear if you got the job or not, some kind of test results, or for that thing to come back in stock.
Maybe you’re waiting for a season to be over, for your grief to lessen, or for life to look very different from what it looks like right now.
Some of these timelines are more clear. You’ll hear by Friday, in 6 weeks, or by the end of the year.
Others, not so much. There is no timeline, just the one that you are living in.
Welcome to The Waiting Room.
A liminal space, home to uncertainty, sometimes doubt, and believe it or not — creativity.
We are glad you are here.
While you are in The Waiting Room, it may feel like time is standing still or like nothing is happening. Or whatever is happening is happening much too slowly.
The good news is that things are happening.
They’re happening below the surface, unconsciously, out of view.
Connections are being made. Insights are forming. You are learning something about yourself.
The Waiting Room is not all that different from that cozy little incubator, holding space for new creative developments to emerge.
It is a place to pause and reflect or just rest.
You can choose to go into The Waiting Room at any point. It may look like this:
- Letting your mind wander
- Taking a break
- Taking a nap
- Hitting the pause button
- Phoning a friend
- Putting your phone away
- Staring at the wall
- Staring at art
- Picking up a book
- Putting it on the shelf for now
It can be a moment or a month, or even several years.
You’ll know when you’re ready to leave The Waiting Room. Whether it’s a flash of brilliance, an invitation, or a wave of renewed energy — the exit sign will light up when it’s time.
- Are you currently in The Waiting Room? What do you suspect is happening below the surface?
- Do you need to go into The Waiting Room? What do you need to set aside or wander away from for a little while?
- Did you just leave The Waiting Room? What changed? How are you different now?
You are worth the wait.
This story was originally posted in my weekly(ish) newsletter. You can sign up here: newsletter.rozduffy.com
