The weight of the wait
When things feel suspended…
You’re waiting for something.
An answer.
A decision.
A shift.
A conversation.
An outcome you can’t control.
It’s not a crisis.
But it isn’t settled either.
It hangs quietly in the background of your days.
You tell yourself:
“I’ll move forward once this resolves.”
“I’ll relax once I know.”
“I’ll commit once the decision is made.”
But what if it doesn’t resolve quickly?
What if the waiting stretches?
Waiting has weight.
Perhaps it's not dramatic.
Just subtle.
You feel a tightening in your chest.
A slight holding of breath.
A quiet bracing.
Limbo isn’t just mental.
It becomes physical.
You replay conversations.
Rehearse outcomes.
Without noticing, you begin living in “after.”
After the result.
After the meeting.
After the answer.
When something is hanging over you, one of the gentlest things you can do is move your body.
Step outside.
Walk around the block... perhaps without a podcast.
Stretch your shoulders.
Change rooms.
Feel your feet on the ground.
You cannot rush the outcome.
But you can remind yourself that you are not paused inside it.
You may not control what’s coming.
But you can decide how you inhabit this space.
Pause and consider:
- What am I postponing until something else resolves?
- What small choice could I make today—even
without certainty?

Let's keep going!

Shelley Steele, MEd, ICF Certified Coach (ACC)
Executive & Life Coach | Curriculum Development Specialist
Founder, Steele Academy
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