I want to talk about standing still.

I want to talk about standing still. 

Holding breath. 

Just waiting and hoping all the pieces will fall into place.

The best of us are guilty from time to time. We wait. And we wait.

But sometimes nothing happens.

Nothing good, anyway.

Think of all the areas in which we do it: In our jobs. Our love lives.

Anything that involves risk, really.

We convince ourselves that we’ll make a move when all circumstances are just right. Or that things will actually fix themselves if we can hold on just a little longer.

Sometimes that is indeed the case: if we can find a sense of patience, many situations will have a way of clarifying themselves: The wild bull ride you’ve been enduring ends. Answers appear. New pathways unfold.

But other times, we can wait TOO LONG.

Hot food sits until it turns cold and unpalatable.

Fresh bread goes stale.

Kids outgrow the “good” clothes before they’ve even had a chance to wear them. Tags still on. Money down the drain.

Open doors swing closed.

The magic is in knowing when to sit tight – and when to jump on the opportunity in front of you. The compelling person you’ve been dying to ask out. The house in the ideal neighborhood that finally came on the market. The job you’ve been dreaming about.

Yet deciding to act can be so fraught with doubt. What if I swing and miss? Is this even the right thing to pursue? How will it end? And how can I know for sure??

Truth is, you can’t.

You can never get a guarantee that things will work out exactly as you expect. 

Sometimes you’ve just got to take a giant leap of faith.

Or, perhaps one tiny step in the right direction.

Even if it’s on tiptoe.

But refuse to stand still.

Becky Vollmer