Do Good Things Really Happen To Those That Wait?

I have heard it said that good things come to those who wait. Recently I began to wonder how true that statement really is.  I know of people that have waited for something good to happen to them, but good seems to be just out of their reach. How can something good keep missing the same people? How long does one have to wait before good finds them?

Life is full of surprises. I do not believe that good things happen to people by chance. I believe things happen to people depending on the waiting process. In other words, the things you do while waiting makes the difference.

If you are waiting for the bus and get distracted by your phone or something that is around you, it is entirely possible that you miss the bus for which you have been waiting. Being distracted can lead to missed opportunities. Keep focused on what it is you want. Do not let immaterial things stop you from achieving your goals. Wait without being distracted.

Sometimes people are waiting for good things to happen but are not in the right place. If you wait for a bus at the wrong bus stop, the bus you need will never come. Make sure you put yourself in a place where you can find good opportunities. Sending in resumes for jobs in which you are not qualified is similar to that situation. Better use of your time is to seek jobs for which you are qualified, but you should continue to expand your qualifications whether taking classes, volunteering or job shadowing. Wait at the right place.

I went to a big box store last year for a few things. The line at the register was so long and was not moving. I became frustrated, put my items back and went to another store. Many opportunities are missed because we grow impatient or frustrated. We need to learn to keep our heads in the game. We want to take the fastest approach which may not be the best way to go. Sometimes it is more beneficial to wait for the right opportunity then to just take the next opportunity. We may need to ask ourselves if the opportunity in front of us will help me achieve our goals. If it does not, we may need to wait for the right one. Wait with patience.

It is said that no news is good news. That just means that you still have a chance because you have not been rejected. Some people will try for what they want because they assume they have no chance. If you want something, go for it. Believe in yourself. Do not lose confidence because the wheels in a situation are moving really slow. Slow wheels are still turning. Some opportunities may take longer than others. Good opportunities are worth the waiting. Wait with hope.

Keep your eye on the prize. Do not forget what you want to achieve. Be consistent in seeking what will help you accomplish your goals and leave aside things that may hinder them. In the Old Testament, the people were waiting to hear the word of God, but because it took longer than they expected began to serve golden idols. Keep moving in the right direction. Wait while remaining faithful.

Good things will come to those that wait, but how you wait matters.

FRUSTRATION AT MY OWN IGNORANCE.

I have a tendency to drive vehicles until they leave me stranded and repairs would cost more than the car. I have sold many cars and trucks to scrap yards. When they get to a certain point, I drop all of the insurance except for liability.

My last vehicle was a 2005 Nissan Murano with just over 230,000 miles on it. On Tuesday, it decided that it had enough of me. I had it towed to my usual repair shop after they had already closed.

On Wednesday, the shop called and informed me that it was time to pull the plug on its life support because the cost of the new CVT transmission would “out value” the car. Before the day was over, I drove off a car lot with my new vehicle with only 23,000 miles on it. I am excited about the new car, but not about having to pay a car note again.

On Thursday morning, I called the insurance company to swap the insurance over from the Murano. The agent asked me if I wanted the same amount of coverage. I thought that was an odd question since I only held liability insurance. She informed me that I had full coverage on the Murano. I questioned her since I know that I dropped all but liability. After further review, I had never dropped the coverage on this vehicle. How did I not know I was fully covered?

Several years ago, someone cut me off on the interstate and then slammed on his brakes. I swerved to miss him and ended up with a blowout. It caused me to spin across three lanes of traffic hit the guardrail and spin me in the other direction until I sat facing oncoming traffic. The car that cut me off continued on its route.

I had a big dent in the rear bumper with obvious damage to its support and the transaxle broke along with a few other things. The tow truck brought my Murano to a shop, and I had the shop fix only what would make the vehicle road worthy. Any repairs of the cosmetic damage, like the bumper, I put on hold since I had to pay for the repairs out of pocket. This of course was because I THOUGHT I only had liability.

It pays to know. I drove about four years with a dented bumper and spent much more on repairs than had I paid the deductible.  How frustrating to know my ignorance cost me so much?

Many times in life, we think we know things, but sometimes we think incorrectly. We should verify what we know and believe. The older I get, the harder it is to remember certain details.  I cannot take things for granted. I need to continue to learn and review. I want to know not only what I believe but also why I believe it. Maybe we all can learn a lesson and review so that forgetting or being ignorant will not cost us more than it should. The cost can be more than money. It can be stress, undue hardships or worse.

People say the truth will set you free, but you must know what the truth is for it to do its job.