Hi guys! Welcome to episode 584 of the wildly successful lifestyle podcast! I’m happy to be with you. Whether you’re enjoying your coffee or on your morning walk or maybe just driving along in your car, whatever it is, I’m glad you’re here.
I’m happy to be back in my little studio talking with you. We were out of town for the long weekend. We had a wonderful time this last weekend at the lake with friends and family. The weather was beautiful! We always have the best time. We usually take a morning coffee cruise and after the day on the lake we will take the boat back out for an evening cruise before dinner. So fun.
Now I am usually the first one to wake up every morning. I’m used to that and I don’t hate it. I love my mornings. I noticed though the first morning of our trip I was sitting on the deck by myself having coffee and I subtly noticed there was part of me that was sort of waiting. Waiting for Eric to wake up and join me or maybe my friend Donna to wake up. Part of me was waiting for the next thing instead of just being fully present and aware and loving what was right in front of me. So when I noticed that I went ahead and walked down to the dock and sat enjoying the morning sun and watching the morning steam coming off the water. I think I was the only awake at the whole little cabin area because there wasn’t a sound besides the water lapping peacefully and the birds singing and the occasional fish jumping. But that moment really made me wonder, how often am I partially waiting for the next thing instead of being fully present where I am? Do you ever do that? It must be pretty common because on our drive home just so happens a we were listening to a podcast with Dr Joe Dispenza, he was talking about how most people feel stuck because they are waiting for something outside of them to change in order for them to feel fulfilled. Or they are waiting for someone else to change in order for them to feel happy. I told my husband to pause the podcast, it’s hard for us to get through an entire podcast because half the time we are pausing it so we can talk about what they just said. So of course now I can’t resist telling Eric about the moment on the porch where I was waiting for something to happen. He laughed and said oh just last week I was super excited to go to this new South America location for work but when I was there I found myself thinking “I can’t wait to be home with Heidi” but he realized that it was just because he was thinking he could t have as much fun going sight seeing without me or to dinner without his travel partner and look I get that, but he said he realized he was doing that too so he booked a tour with a group and then he went to dinner and had great interactions with the waiters, he even sent me pictures of his yummy fish dinner which now I’m wishing I was there too! Haha.
Waiting to live. Waiting to be happy. Waiting to lose weight. Waiting to make that move. Waiting to learn that new thing.
I found myself doing that recently. waiting to learn that new thing. It was kind of a breakthrough moment for me in fact. I have been doing this sketch/ drafting interior design presentation class. I’m doing it online so I can do it at my own pace. I noticed I devoured the hand sketch section because I LOVE sketching and do it naturally, but when it came to the hand drafting section I hesitated. I didn’t really WANT to do it because detail isn’t my favorite and hand drafting can be tedious. I found myself thinking oh I’ll wait until I have a project that I need this for. But I realized as I had that thought that it would be a little late at that point, I need to do the class and then the project will show up. I don’t need to wait, I need to have the skill and know I’m proficient in order to attract that type of project and also in order to feel confident going into that kind of project, remember Kobe Bryant saying if you’re not confident…be more prepared, practice more. So I got in there and I did the classes and guess what? I remembered so much of it from design school and this was just the refresher I needed and then low and behold I get a call about a new kitchen project coming up that will require me to be able to detail it out myself. Imagine that. Instead of waiting I’m creating. And that’s how I feel about that moment at the lake. I created the perfect moment instead of waiting for someone else to create it. Eric did the same thing in South America. He could have easily sat in his room and read a book or watched a movie and ordered room service but nope he got out there and created the moment instead of waiting to be back home. I love that he did that.
Why do we wait for the next thing? I think part of it is how we’re wired. Our brains are always planning, anticipating, problem-solving—it’s what’s kept humans alive for thousands of years. But in today’s world, that constant forward-thinking can rob us of the present. Dr. Dispenza said something else that stuck with me: When we’re waiting for something external to change how we feel, we’re giving away our power. We’re saying, “I’ll be happy when I get that raise,” or “I’ll feel peaceful when my kids behave,” or “I’ll start that project when I have more time.” But here’s the truth: Those external things might never align perfectly. And if we keep waiting, we’re missing out on the life that’s happening right now.
Think about what that costs us. When I was on that deck, waiting for Eric or Donna to join me, I was missing the magic of that quiet morning. I was missing the chance to feel fully alive in that moment. And I don’t want to do that anymore. I don’t want to miss the beauty of now because I’m too busy waiting for then. What about you? What moments are you missing because you’re waiting for something else? Maybe it’s waiting for the weekend to relax, or waiting for a relationship to feel a certain way, or waiting for the “right time” to chase a dream. Whatever it is, I want to challenge you to notice it.
Because as I always say when you notice it, you can change it. That moment on the deck only shifted because I noticed what I was doing. I caught myself waiting and chose to lean into the moment instead. So start paying attention. When you’re in a moment—whether it’s a quiet morning, a conversation with a friend, or even a mundane task like washing dishes—ask yourself: Am I here, or am I waiting for something else? Just noticing is huge.
The other thing is to take action. If you’re waiting for the perfect moment to start something—a new habit, a passion project, a tough conversation—stop. The perfect moment is a myth. Dr. Dispenza talks about how our state of being creates our reality. If you want to feel fulfilled, start acting like a fulfilled person now. Want to feel creative? Start creating today, even if it’s messy. Want to feel connected? Reach out to someone you love right now. Small actions in the present build momentum and remind you that you don’t have to wait to live the life you want.
My challenge to you this week is to notice when you’re putting your happiness of your success on hold for some future moment. Once you notice it, maybe then you could take one small action toward that moves you forward. Or maybe it’s just the act of noticing and being present in the moment you’re in right now instead of need it to be different for you to feel a certain way. Nothing changes unless something changes. I’ll never not love that statement. Share this with 3 people who share your love of growth. I love you guys. I’ll talk to you in a few days.
