Practice the PAUSE

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How often do you PAUSE during the day? I don’t know about you, but I feel like so many people just run from one place to the next, one task to the next … or at least in the pre-covid-19 world. This is a simple practice (but not always easy) that you can add into your daily life. Pause during a meal, between tasks, before yelling at the kids or going out on date night.

Eating is a prime example. How often do you even pause before you eat? Pause to give thanks or appreciate the beauty of the food in front of you? I love a simple Japanese phrase that I learned when I lived in Kyoto, ‘ittadakimasu’. My understanding is that this is like one huge thank you. Thank you to the person who cooked the meal, the store that sold the food, the farmers that grew/harvested the vegetables/rice and the animal that sacrificed it’s life.

Have you tried pausing in between bites? Putting your fork down? Listening to your body to see what it wants to eat and how much? A simple pause is all that it takes. Pausing enough to chew your food completely? The pause can be added at any point in a meal. Your body, mind and spirit will thank you.

I must confess, I didn’t jump into the PAUSE idea to talk about living a healthy life. I really want to talk about this year. It seems apparent that having a global pandemic wasn’t enough for us. Though one of the beautiful benefits of covid-19 is that it has caused most of the world to slow down and PAUSE. A beautiful and unprecedented time to slow down and reflect. I think mother earth needed a breather as well. Since we weren’t able to PAUSE on our own, we were forced to do it.

I’m not sure if we weren’t doing enough the world of pause and reflection OR if the pause created the opportunity for people to have the time and desire to make real changes in the world. I tend to lean towards the latter. Now we have 2 global issues at the forefront, covid-19 and black lives matter ~ where systemic racism is yet, once again, being challenged. I am optimistic that significant change will take place this time. The collective consciousness is shifting and there is more and more light shining, more people awakening and more positivity (of course, the media will never let on to this).

While the continual peaceful protests are necessary for change to take place, this is also a time for pause. Pause to breathe deeply, pause to pray/meditate, pause to educate yourself, pause to contemplate your beliefs and actions, pause before having conversations … and there may very well be a need for pause during conversations. Harnessing the power of pause in this very crucial time is a powerful tool to keep you grounded while also helping to get your personal mission and message out in the world.

I definitely needed to pause these past few weeks. There has been so much happening, so much new information, so much to learn and process, so much to think about … I just had to PAUSE. Yes, I was still working, but my productivity was down. For me, way down.

I also embraced the pause and just sat with it and everything going on. I did have a few times where I was beating myself up about not being as productive. There is a time and place for everything. We are in the midst of a monumental time and I want to be present for it, even if I’m physically removed. I am working to be part of the solution and not part of the continued problem.

Just as mother nature creates magic every day, she knows all about PAUSE. The quiet before the storm. The picture above was created with some pause to it. We can create a new world by coming together and remembering to honor the pause when it’s necessary. The more connected you are to yourself, the more you will know when the pause is necessary. When in doubt, PAUSE and listen.

Live large and follow your dream. You know that your dream really isn’t about you. Your dream is about how you can serve others. THAT’S your real dream (not the mansion, fancy car or whatever else is in your dream world). Your truest dream is sharing your gifts with the world because there is NO ONE else on this planet like you. We need you now more than ever.