The early bird gets the worm. Money loves speed. How many times have we heard these sayings, especially in business where speed is considered a virtue? Have we ever stopped to wonder if any of it is true?

In this excerpt from Collecting Confidence, a new book by Kim Gravel, she turns the concept of speed on its head and provides a different, more sustainable way of being in business.

Many times, when you’re in a period of waiting, it feels like no one in the world even knows you’re alive. It might even feel like God isn’t working or watching.

That’s because, as humans, we’re stuck in this thing called time. We can’t see the big picture. When we’re suffering, it might feel like it’s the end of the world, but we can’t perceive what’s really going on. We feel like we’re trapped in a perpetual slow-motion loop, but things are going on behind the scenes we can’t see. Opportunities are lining up, the right people coming into view.

Are you in a time loop? Do you feel like Bill Murray star­ring in your own Groundhog Day movie? Every day you feel invisible, sad, and hopeless. You might feel overlooked. You might feel forgotten. But remember that timing makes a difference. Some answers must wait, and—while you’re in that waiting period–remember that God is writing your story and He’s a much better author than you and I put together. God’s always moving.

Sometimes you have to walk away from an opportunity that seems good to wait for what’s best. You don’t have to live in the good; you can wait for the best. When you can’t work your way to an opportunity, you feel it’s your only shot and it’s passing you by. You start to feel desperate, which makes you feel powerless.

Let me share a secret with you: the “power wait.”

Power waiting is an antidote to the desperation of the hustle culture. God doesn’t hustle. Hustling is all about seizing every second, hurrying every day, and taking advantage of every so-called opportunity. But God doesn’t need opportunity. He is opportunity. He doesn’t have to hustle, and neither do you. Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” I’ve wasted so much time, emotional energy, and money trying to make things happen. What is meant for you will find you. It will show up. You don’t have to beg for it. You don’t have to settle or just take what’s offered.

That meant I didn’t have to tie myself into knots to make this happen. Sometimes the only work you need to do is wait. But this was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I don’t know about you, but when I’m waiting for something to happen, I sometimes feel lost and ignored—like I could disappear, and no one would notice. But time spent waiting can be more valuable than instant success.

How do you power wait?

Accept it.

Trust the timing.

Don’t try to force an opportunity.

Prepare for it.

Wait in anticipation for it.

Be patient, like your mama always said. Have enough faith and confidence that what you bring to that opportunity will be utilized. Know that when you’re operating in your calling, the opportunity will find you at the right moment.

But while you’re power waiting, you can prepare patiently. And—this is important—use that time waiting to be ready when an opportunity presents itself. Believe it’s happening, but the fact that you don’t have it yet means more preparation is needed. Prepare for it like it’s already coming.

This excerpt was adapted from Collecting Confidence: Start Where You Are to Become the Person You Were Meant to Be by Kim Gravel and reprinted with permission by the publisher Thomas Nelson.