Wait In Line

Next time you find yourself in a line try something...

Wait.

You may be thinking, "Isn't that kind of obvious?"

I don't think so. Just take a look at how many people fill their time waiting in line on their mobile devices. People playing Angry Birds, checking email while listening to Green Day (that would be me), or Tweeting about how lines at the grocery store make them crazy.

You can fill your time in line with so much mindless consumption that before you know it it's your turn at the check out, and you can think to yourself, "man, time flew by".

"Waiting", in these circumstances, is really nothing more than mindless interaction with the illusion that we are actually accomplishing something so that we don't feel like our time was wasted.

While we may be completing some minor tasks, the constant influx of data keeps our mind bouncing from one thing to the next without ever having to stop, pause, reflect, and assess. Moments in our day where we are forced to wait can actually become sacred spaces for us to disconnect from life's hurried pace and take a bird's-eye-view of our day or even our life.

In our true waiting we can be free to observe the people and situations around us, as well as observe where our day has been and where our day is going. Waiting can help us connect to life's bigger picture. Waiting, emptying, pausing are often the canvas for new thoughts, ideas, and discoveries.

So whether you are at the grocery store, doctor's office, or in the parking lot of your kid's school, try using your time in line to simply wait.