Today, it seems like such a beautifully tragic notion to declare that you’ve met the right person at the wrong time, that the stars have aligned to bring you to your twin flame and yet there were so many factors holding you back from being together. Or to the dreamers putting off chasing after their true passion because they think they have to wait until they’re at a different point in their lives, that there’s an extenuating list of other variables that need to be solved before they start. But the thing is, what if we stopped using timing as an excuse to not go after everything we want and deserve? What if we stopped being ashamed of wanting so many great things at once and simply made that dream come to life?
The truth is, when we claim to be waiting for the “right time,” we have ourselves set on a journey, a path to something that might not even exist. In many cases, when we overcome one obstacle or trying time in our life, another one just rises from the ashes. Like setting a goal, after you achieve one thing on your list you don’t just stop, you create another challenge based on the door you’ve just opened up for yourself. Life doesn’t just become stagnant. It evolves alongside you, creating new challenges and opportunities, stepping stones towards self-actualization.
So here’s the thing: when you make the excuse that you have to put off a relationship until you can get ahead in your career, what happens when you finally do? When you get that coveted promotion it will undoubtedly come with more responsibilities, more projects and a greater demand for an investment of your time. Now here you are with the position you want, but you’ve realized that although you made it to the top, you did so alone. There’s never going to be a perfect time, so if something makes you happy, hold onto it and never let it go. Jump at the opportunities while you have them because they might not be there when you come back.
And it seems so often that we are waiting for everything to have lined up before we make our move before we try to make our dreams a reality. For example, as an entrepreneur wanting to start up their own business, it may seem like not even attempting to start until you have the perfect product and rising audiences and engagement would be safer, but in reality, this is just simply more self-protective than productive. So many people put off going after what they want in fear of failure, but perfection is unattainable. What is truly genuine arises from that which is imperfect. Every small detail, every flaw—those are the brush strokes to your masterpiece. Those messy processes of trial and error are essential for growth.
I suppose after all of this my only question is, what if that “right time” you are so desperately waiting for never comes? If you’ve put off your dreams and happiness only to be faced with more adversity, what do you do then? You don’t get more time. In life, time is one of our most precious commodities and yet it’s also the most overlooked, abused and neglected. Stop waiting for the planets to align, for the stars to cross right or for the perfect time. Tomorrow is never a guarantee, never a promise and I know that personally I’d rather be able to say that I went after my dreams and happiness with passion and vitality.
That said, in my experience, the key is to not look at your obstacles as a problem to overcome, but rather an opportunity for growth. Just look at what happens when you advance in a video game: you beat a level and it gets harder. Life getting harder is just you leveling up. So my challenge for you is to love unconditionally, dream far beyond the horizons and never let a silly excuse like timing stop you from getting everything you deserve out of life. After all, you can’t claim to want to grow and complain at the first jolt of growing pains.
Images: All photos were provided by the author.