On Waiting, or "Patience in an Impatient Game"

We adopted a kitten yesterday. Sort of. She needs to stay at the animal shelter a few more days to be spayed and then we can pick her up.

But, see, I want her now. When we first met her, she sat in the back of her cage while her brother meowed at the front. My sister-in-law went "Awww" at the brother and took him out, and my husband said "I like the one in the back being quiet."

So I took her out and cuddled her. And cuddled her. And cuddled her.

We wanted a lap cat, someone who likes to snuggle as much as Tiger hates it. A yin to Tiger's yang.

We found this little black and white cutie who purred without wriggling or meowing as I held her, totaling about ten minutes of pure cuddly snugs. I actually cried when I had to put her back.

We put a down payment on her adoption after checking the other kitties and failing to bond with them like I did her.

But I still have to wait for her.

I'm going crazy.

There are things in WoW that you want, things you connect to on an emotional level, that you just can't have right away. It might be a mount, an achievement, a server first, or even a kitten.

When you care about something this much, it's very very hard to handle having to wait. When you don't get the drop you want from a boss or treat bag, or even the position you want in your guild, it can be painful.

Perseverance, patience, and a buttload of distractions can help.

Perseverance

Don't stop believing that hard work will win you the day. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse with this example, but I never thought I'd see Ashes of Al'ar. I truly thought it was impossible, but I wanted it enough that I didn't give up that small sliver of hope (though at times I did despair of ever getting into The Eye).

Patience

Having hope that something will happen shouldn't blind you to reality. That's where patience comes in. It's the realistic knowledge that perseverance doesn't mean immediate payoff and doesn't even guarantee a reward.

Distractions

Today I'm doing anything I can in-game to distract myself from the tiny gaping space on my lap where my kitten should be. When you're waiting on something, particularly something you have no control over, it can help to focus on something else. While I farmed a hyacinth macaw, ostensibly an activity that has no real multitasking area, I watched shows I wanted to catch up on and auctioned off all the silk that dropped. I made quite a bit of gold in my rounds.

So don't put yourself at a standstill thinking the only thing you'll get out of waiting is waiting. Use that time for something productive and, even if you don't get what you want, you'll still get something.