Brazil: The Power of Waiting When You Don’t Know What to Do

Waiting is often seen as a negative thing in modern Western society. People tend to prefer taking action over waiting, and many quotes and sayings encourage people to “seize the day” rather than pause. However, waiting can be a powerful tool for making good decisions.

One person who learned this lesson over time described themselves as impatient for much of their life. They had a clear plan in their twenties: finish college, start a career, get married, and have a family. They pursued these goals aggressively, even choosing a spouse based on what seemed sensible at the time. Looking back, they realized that rushing into decisions did not always lead to the best outcomes.

The human mind dislikes uncertainty. It often urges people to do something, anything, rather than wait. This can lead to mistakes. There is a concept called liminal space, which describes a threshold between possibilities. It is a place of pure potential, where the right path is not yet clear. Most people try to rush through this uncomfortable state, but slowing down can help.

When people wait instead of forcing a decision, they allow time for clarity to develop. Just as eyes adjust to a dark room, the right course of action can become clearer over time. This process involves using all of the senses, not just logical thinking. The ego wants a direct path to the future, but real life often involves a series of turns and choices.

There is a proper timing for everything, and it is often not the timing people want. Things happen on a subconscious level that prepare people for the next step. When the right time to act arrives, it can feel inevitable, as if it were always meant to be. Looking back at past decisions can reveal this pattern. Decisions that were forced often turn out poorly, while decisions made with a sense of inner knowing tend to work out better.

Waiting for a deep sense of inner knowing does not mean being certain of the outcome or feeling no fear. It means feeling a sense of “yes, now’s the time” in the body. This is similar to how migratory birds know when to leave without consulting maps or calendars. Humans can also cultivate this inner sensitivity, but it requires stepping away from overthinking.

Thinking is useful up to a point, but people often take it too far. They go over options repeatedly, trying to predict the future based on hopes and fears. They talk endlessly with others, hoping for answers or agreement. They consider what they “should” do based on external measures like common sense, morality, religion, family values, or finances. Then they add it all up and take a guess.

A better approach is to take stock of what is known and what is not known, and then wait. If an action calls to you, even if it seems unrelated to the main question, do it. Then wait again for the next urge to move. This is active waiting, not passive. It means keeping inner senses tuned to urges or intuitions, expecting that an answer will come.

This is different from dithering or procrastination that comes from fear of stepping into the unknown. If intuition is pulling in a certain direction and the mind is screaming to stop, it is better to ignore the mind. There is a real difference between fear that holds you back from something you long to do and misgivings that warn you a decision is not right.

In both cases, the key is to look for and trust that deep sense of inner knowing, even if thoughts say otherwise. One person recalled advice from a friend’s father: “Deciding to get married should be the easiest decision of your life.” They wished they had known that when they made their own ambivalent decision. Their head said it was sensible, but their gut was not on board. They went with their thoughts over their instincts and regretted it.

The lesson is simple: if you have to talk yourself into something, try waiting instead. More will be revealed with time. Ignore the voice that says a decision must be made now. Do not rush through life. Linger in the liminal spaces and see what becomes clear while sitting with uncertainty. Learn to trust the gut more than the head. Have faith that the right course will unfold at the perfect time. When the time comes, just act, as simply and naturally as birds take flight.