The Power of Waiting: Ironically, what was Supposed to Make us the Masters of Time has Turned us into the Slaves of Time

Ding… You open the phone… “Black Friday sale. Get a 50-80% discount on your favorite brands! Next; … You place your order. Feels sweet! Anything that you want today, arrives your door faster than it’s ever been convenient. If you’re in the mood for adrenaline, you find yourself scrolling through Netflix food! On the way.

Ding… You check the phone but there’s no notification. Ah, you must have imagined it! We live in a world of instant gratification. We are so used to immediate responses that we feel restless if we are forced to wait. Losing access to internet means spending a day in hell. What are you supposed to do? It’s frustrating to be idle.

With each passing generation, it’s becoming more difficult to handle delays. The feeling of satisfaction is more seductive to the younger generation. Like crack, eh? They crave the gratification of salary raises and good returns on investments right after they find a job. And when they don’t get the expected results, they just quit, ranting that it’s pointless. Parents drop the responsibility of entertaining their child by handing them over to the iPad. Its instant relief. The baby falls silent, no more crying.

Technology has intensified the feeling that waiting is a humongous waste of time. There is no longer any need to stand in line to book movie tickets or make dinner reservations. On click and you are done. Quick and efficient. The unmistaken message is that faster is better, or is it? Last year, we had groceries being delivered the next day. Come 2022 and groceries are now delivered to your doorstep within 15 minutes. Not far are the days when anything you want will be in your hands right after a loo break.

Ironically, what was supposed to make us the masters of time has now turned us into the slaves of time. It kills us if we have to wait one week to get a new phone. You would rather spend more money and buy a costlier phone that is being delivered the next day. A little sad, don’t you think? The round the clock bombardment of information is even robbing us of our time for quiet reflection. How often do you come across people who actively participate in taking time out for themselves and working on their mental health?

Therapy doesn’t count. Neither does the paid visits to meditation centers. And I say this because I don’t want to reinforce the idea that your mental health can only be fixed through money. To be clear, therapy is a must when things are really bad. After all, it’s a specialization that helps improve the lives of thousands through guided introspection. But I believe that if we had patience of our older generations, we would have learned to dig into our thoughts and have a deeper understanding of not only ourselves but the whole wider world.

Some of us really enjoy reading a book, be it about psychology, business, or just a mystery novel, while the rest may enjoy investing in the stock market or creating our own website. We really like doing them. But we don’t. The thought of it is dreadful because even though we may get ourselves to start, we never finish. Your endorphins and serotonins are not triggered as much as you would have if you were mindlessly browsing YouTube or Instagram. Your brain is too fixated on the need of instant gratification that you feel sick at the thought of doing something productive, even though you may really enjoy it. Somewhere down the line, you entered the slippery spiral downward. All this instant gratification has killed your patience.

It has slowed down your growth and discovery of real, natural emotions. If you dump the excessive craving and wanting, and the regret and guilt that it comes with, you can create space for contentment and gratitude to kick in with what you have. The focus needs to be on moderation. If you get a message while you are in the middle of an activity, restrain yourself from responding immediately. Chances are it’s a silly tweet on twitter. Although it’s difficult to wait, it may prove to be refreshing in this fast-paced World. Waiting is the perfect vaccine for the things that have no place in your life.

The distraction gets filtered out and your priorities become clear. Time has a beautiful way of sifting the wheat from the chaff as long as you let it flow. You even learn to develop perseverance which would have been the game changer in building that website you were so keen about. An athlete puts hours on the track and the body-builder pushes his PRS. Then they get up tomorrow and do it again. They are trained by perseverance to keep going until they reach their goal. And that kind of toughening up cannot happen in a day. It takes time. You’ll have to wait.

As the saying goes; “good things come to those who await” Truth be told, getting everything, you want instantly is not always a good thing. Ask your mom. It makes you sinfully prideful and you feel like you are entitled to have everything. Reminds you of any spoilt brats? Waiting humbles you. You learn to appreciate the struggle and can empathize with others. It’s an adventure to make do with the things you have and not rush out to buy something on impulse. Maybe it will give more meaning to your Christmas gifts as well.

Don’t rush through life, trust your gut, and wait. When you think the time is right, take a flight. Stay strong and focused…

Author Profile

Joan Atuhwera: Joan Atuhwera is a Business Administration Graduate, a Human Rights activist and writer with over five years’ experience in pursuing justice for others via her keyboard. She can also be reached via email: [email protected] or WhatsApp +256774334595