I believe the thought, “I should’ve waited…” crosses
people’s minds all the time. I’ve sat with this thought myself, when I think
about different things I wish I would’ve approached differently, knowing what I
know now. I’ve discovered how unwise it is to make decisions based off
emotions, off of what your family and friends are doing, or rather appear to be doing, and have seen how
detrimental not waiting has been in
the lives of different people I know. It’s a constant reminder to me, of the importance
in doing things God’s way, and the wonderful gift of delayed gratification.
Delayed gratification is defined as resisting a temptation for a smaller and
immediate award, while enduring and holding out for a bigger and better reward.
Basically, short term sacrifices for a long term benefit kind of thing. I believe
that delayed gratification is a sign of maturity. A sign of immaturity is
wanting what you want right away, without thinking of the bigger picture, and
as unwise as it is to handle things this way, I see it happen all the time and
I’m not into it, and will have no parts of it. I believe waiting, and doing
things God’s way will always outweigh what you may perceive everyone else is doing. I’ll issue this warning though:
doing things His way will likely come with criticism, occasional loneliness, and
people thinking you’re trippin’ lol – this often happens to those that deviate
from the path that seems socially normal, or looks like what everyone else is
doing, but I know and have experienced that living within God’s will, and doing
things His way, is the safest place to be. Romans 14:8 reads, “For whether we
live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether
we love therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.” If I live and die for Him, what
other people say or think is ultimately, meaningless. Delaying gratification
and doing things God’s way will pay off, and I know from personal experiences,
God rewards obedience and a willingness to approach things, His way. Delayed gratification
is the new cool. Try it out.
As you embark on your career, I want you to know some things and stay woke about what you’ll be up against. Please understand that no matter what, you have value, and you matter. Always remember that. As progressive as this world and different workplaces may seem, every workplace has a culture. You’ll be in different places where a lot of people who don’t look like you will be in the room. But know that you belong in those rooms too. Spend some time observing and studying those spaces and learn as much as you can. There will be people you work with who will make presumptions about your competence, education, and ability to fulfill your job duties. There will be more who will think less of you because of the color of your skin and try to disqualify you the moment you make an error, mistake, or ask questions about things you may not understand. This will all feel uncomfortable and you may get insecure, feel like you’re all by yourself, and think you don’t belong there, but ride it out...