Every now and again I find that I’m waiting for something or someone to come along and resolve something or make something happen.

This desire for someone to come rescue me or wave a magic wand over my life is never a conscious thought. My consciousness (and yours too) is way too sophisticated to fall for that. Usually this avoidance takes the form of a vague longing for some easy, “magic bullet” solution or the perpetual postponing of dealing with an issue.

Eventually it hits me: “I am the one I’ve been waiting for…”

This phrase galvanizes me, focuses my thoughts and energy, highlights my sense of initiative and resourcefulness, ignites my creativity, and challenges my self-image as a “response able” person.

No deus ex machina (see footnote) is going to descend in my life. If I want it to happen, if I want to move forward, if I want it solved, it is up to me. No waiting for my ship to come in, no waiting for Godot. It is I that I’ve been waiting for.

Truly, if it is going to be, it is up to me.

Who are you waiting for?

P.S. This post is on personal leadership and growth, not on relationships per se. However, in my single days I used this phrase to motivate and center my energies. Instead of exclusively focusing on seeking Ms. Right, I worked extensively on becoming the person I sought to find, cultivating in myself the traits I desired in another, attempting to become the worthy love I so greatly desired.

Note: The Latin phrase deus ex machina, literally “god out of a machine,” has its origins in the conventions of Greek tragedy and describes an artificial, or improbable, character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot. The phrase refers to situations in which a mechane (crane) was used to lower actors playing a god or gods onto the stage. Source: Wikipedia.

This is a classic from the NSC Blog archive. Originally posted April 22, 2008.