Maybe it’s because most of us grew up glued to the TV set where issues resolved themselves neatly (complete with laugh track and/or dramatic music!) in 23 minutes for the typical half-hour sitcom, or 43 minutes for hour-long dramas, but “patience” seems in short supply these days. It’s like Freddy Mercury once crooned, “I want it all and I want it now.”

Do you ever feel like your life is a book, and all you want to do is flip to the last few pages to see how it turns out . . . or at the very least check the table of contents to see what twists and turns life has in store?

I know this King Monkey sometimes does, especially when times get tough or when life seems to be on autopilot. You get those feelings of “next, please” or “I just want to get through this.”

Now, it’s perfectly normal to be curious about the future, about where certain decisions (or indecisions) will take you. A lot of times, that’s what keeps us going. But when you get overly anxious about what awaits, when you start wishing this week or this month would just hurry the heck up and get done so you could see how “things” turn out, then you’re heading down the same path Adam Sandler took in the movie Click. If you recall, in that film, Sandler’s character comes into possession of a magical remote control that allows him to fast forward over life’s duller or more painful moments. Problem is, soon Sandler’s character realizes he’s fast-forwarded over most of his life, and that mixed in with those less desirable moments are those things that make life worth living—things he missed in his rush to get to the end.

The bottom line is that we don’t really control our own timelines. We may think we do, and we may affect a lot of what happens and when, but life pretty much plays out for us . . . and that’s what makes it so interesting—all those roads taken or not taken, the people and things who come into our lives or exit, the opportunities that come and go.

If you think about it, how “fun” would life be if you knew how it all turned out before you even got to live it? What would be the point? It would be like someone telling you the ending of a book or movie ahead of time.

Life, like good marketing, takes time. In life (as in business) all we can do is be prepared for what comes our way, living in the here and now, and keeping our eyes open for life’s opportunities so we can make the most of them.

QUICK HITS:

Comic-Con International 2011 comes to the San Diego Convention Center this July 21 to 24 (with preview night for VIPs on July 20). Are you attending? I am . . . wouldn’t miss it! It’s a great way to network with friends and colleagues in the publishing, merchandising, and film businesses, catch some previews of upcoming feature films, and, of course, “people watch.” Steven Spielberg and even Captain Kirk (William Shatner) will be among featured guests attending. http://www.comic-con.org/

Membership Drive for LeTip – Culver City. “LeTip” is a business networking group of about 40 individuals that I belong to in Culver City. Our group is looking for individuals interested in growing their businesses through referral marketing. Group activities center on weekly breakfast meetings where we exchange business tips and let others in the business community know who we are and what we do. It’s a lot of fun, a great way to make connections and stay connected, and a real value for small businesses and entrepreneurs. If you’re interested in learning more, visit the group Web site at http://www.letipculvercity.com/