Hello friends,
Doesn’t it feel like we are always waiting for something? I find myself waiting for spring, a long-planned trip to England, my next visit with my children and grandchildren, or my next lunch with my best friend.
I must confess that I love acronyms that help me remember something I deem important. This week, Austin Kleon shared how WAIT keeps him focused. The waiting places a space between what we think and the next words we speak.
WAIT stands for—
Why
Am
I
Talking
Austin even created a temporary tattoo of the acronym on his wrist to remind him to —wait, while he asks himself two questions.
“Why am I talking here?”
“What am I trying to do with my words?”
I can’t count the number of times I started talking and didn’t stop talking without asking myself those two questions. Perhaps you’ve had the same experience. We forget the power and lingering effect of our spoken words. We forget to WAIT.
In conversations, our waiting serves another purpose. We make space for listening to others’ ideas and thoughts with intent. My mind doesn’t always know when to put on the brakes. The brain betrays me and fails to inform my mouth to hold on, suspend my thoughts, and open my mind and heart to the other person.
While I wait for the fleeting blooms of daffodils and Red Bud trees, I will practice WAITing.
The word, yet, and leaning into the dot-dot-dot allows intentions to come alive.
I’ve listened to Austin Kleon explain ten ways to keep going multiple times, and every time I am encouraged to “keep going” in my creative endeavors.
Hayley Westenra sings Listen to the Wind combining her lilting voice and beautiful lyrics with stunning photographs.
“I’m a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”
—Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
― Benjamin Franklin
Find a little wonder this week.
I wish the Red Bud blooms would stick around longer, but I’ll enjoy them while I can.
With gratitude,
Kathryn
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