I arrived at the train station in Philadelphia both excited and a bit drained after two presentations for Land America, a title company. I was headed to New York for the RIS Media conference. I had some pieces of luggage and needed assistance onto the train from a porter. I sat on a nearby bench as I waited for his signal to walk toward the train. I gazed around and took a quick look about the large hall. It was hard to ignore a middle aged couple not very far away engaged in a long, passionate embrace. They caught my eye and held my attention, a little bit longer than appropriate. To my embarrassment, the Porter found me focused for so long on the moment and said “Stop looking, they should really just get a room.” Still I could not stop looking. It was something about their embrace. It was something about their attire that made me imagine them as a couple from one of those movies with Mickey Rooney created a long time ago in black and white, like they're captured in time. Maybe it was something about their age, their stance, and his disheveled hair. I was entranced.

The Porter told me that it was time to go. He took my luggage onto a cart and said “follow me”. I did. He started to walk toward the couple and made a stop to aid the man. I noticed he was holding a stick. He was blind. The Porter took the man’s hand and fixed it securely to his arm leading the way.

As we stepped into an elevator, the Porter informed me that the man had just gotten engaged that day. The gentleman spoke up and said “That explains all the kissing.” I broke into a smile.

I said, “Congratulations! When is the wedding?”

“January 19th,” he answered.

Calculating a quick 4 ½ month engagement period, I said “Boy, you don’t waste any time.”

He explained “Well, we’re both widows; we really don’t have any reason to wait.”

And in that instant I realized that there is almost never a reason to wait. It is just something that we're used to doing. We are practiced at waiting for something to happen, for the time to be perfect, or the tide to swing our way. We simply sit and wait and keep living our lives the same way as always, hoping that one day something great will happen.

Waiting. Waiting.

What a costly use of time. Are you still waiting? What exactly are you waiting for?


Kim Ades, MBA, President of Frame of Mind Coaching and JournalEngine™ Software, is one of North America’s foremost experts on performance through thought management. By using her unique process of coaching through journaling, she works with clients to unveil and switch their thought patterns to ignite significant change and life transformation. Visit www.frameofmindcoaching.com to sign up for your own free, secure, online journal.