What Are We Waiting For?

I have been thinking a lot lately about how it seems like we are always waiting for something.

We are always waiting to be completely happy in our lives, waiting until we are happy with our bodies, until the time is right to have a baby, until we have more money to do something.

It’s almost as though we act like life doesn’t have an end to it, or that this is just a practice run. And so we keep waiting for the things we want to happen to us and to be happy, instead of taking charge and doing something about it or taking what we want.

People often wait for the perfect time to have a baby; that perfect moment when they have enough money and time and they have got far enough in their career and have the perfect relationship and a big enough house. But the perfect moment doesn’t really exist. Of course, things like money and a good relationship are likely to help make being a parent easier, but being a parent is always going to be bloody hard regardless of your situation.

And then sometimes, sadly, it is too late and they struggle to get pregnant when they might not have ten years ago. I am not suggesting that everyone should have a baby at a young age or before they feel ready; I am just using this as an example about how we keep waiting until the time is right in our life, when it may never be right and so we may not end up with something we really want, because we keep waiting until everything is perceived to be perfect.

I know I have loads of things that I plan to do in my life that I never get round to doing, and it makes me really sad. I have always, always wanted to dance. I get emotional watching Strictly Come Dancing (I know) because I want to be a dancer so much. And yet as an adult, I have never found the ‘perfect’ class to go to, or had enough confidence to make myself go by myself. It’s not too late yet, but it will be one day if I keep waiting for everything to be perfect.

I have always wanted to play the piano, and apart from starting to do a learn at home course a few years ago, I have never had a single lesson. I always think that when I have enough money I will have lessons – but what if that time never comes? I will get to the end of my life not having done half of the things I wanted to do, and that’s pretty sad.

I am not saying we can get whatever we want in life, and do whatever we want. Unfortunately, we can’t. I would love to go travelling around the world with my daughter over the summer, but I certainly can’t do that right now, unless I win the lottery. And as I don’t do the lottery that probably isn’t going to happen.

But surely those things that we can do, the things that we can change, we should. Yes, sometimes we are unfortunately restricted by a lack of money or by our current situation. But life is short and I feel like I’m being constantly reminded of that lately and I don’t want to keep waiting for everything to be perfect. Life isn’t perfect.

We need to stop waiting for everything to be perfect and live our lives for now. Stop waiting until you’ve lost some weight until you wear a bikini, stop putting off that thing you’ve always wanted to do or learn and grab life by the bloody balls before it’s too late. God, that sounds morbid, but you know what I mean.

As far as we know we only get one life, so why wait? I don’t want to get to the end of my life, whenever that may be, and have loads of regrets. I want to feel that I really bloody lived, and experienced all of the things that I wanted to, as much as I possibly could.

What are we waiting for?

Do you have loads of things that you plan to do in life that you never get round to doing? Do you agree that we all need to stop waiting for the perfect moment?

Photos: here and here.