Pause

I sat down with a good friend the other day to catch up. It was so wonderful to connect and check in with each other. But my friend was clearly tired and feeling stressed by her new job where she is pulled in several directions and often feels like she can’t catch up. As we talked, it was clear that she was overwhelmed by the numerous events, feeling out of control at times and often unclear about what to do next. These feelings were beating her down so that her naturally positive nature wasn’t able to shine through.

Life can seem so mind-boggling at times. It is so easy, especially in this modern technologically saturated society, to fall into a space where all the chaos becomes part of the “noise” surrounding you, leaving no clear path standing out. Things swirl all around you and it can feel impossible to decide which way to turn next. The temptation is to want to collapse; give up, letting all the chaos overtake you. And that is when I would invite you to pause.

My friend and I chatted about taking the time to pause, to take a breath and regroup. Together we stopped right then and took some deep breaths. Her face relaxed, her shoulders dropped and her lungs filled. She simply slowed down. I watched the stress just wash right out of her.

In our culture, pausing is often looked at as a sign of hesitation, insecurity, or lack of knowledge. In truth, to pause is to grant ourselves the grace to stop, breathe, regroup and to start again. Try it now. Stop. Whether standing, sitting or lying down, settle yourself for one moment. Take a deep breath through your nose and fill your lungs completely. Then let the air out through your mouth. If you can, allow the exhale to be slightly longer than the inhale. Try again. Inhale through the nose. Exhale through the mouth. One last time. In. Out. Now take a look at your world around you again. What do you notice? Does your breath come a little more relaxed? A shade slower? Are things around you a fraction less chaotic? Can you see your path a bit more clearly? When you notice things starting to wind back up try this again. You deserve the moment. Give yourself the time.

Pause.

Peace,

Terry

“Breathe it all in. Love it all out.”