The Art of the Pause
Can a well-timed pause be an art? You bet it can. And it’s one that can help you hold on to peace of mind, objectivity and frankly, sanity. I don’t know about you, but from where I sit, sanity can be in short supply these days.
So what is a pause?
Taking a moment to stop, reflect and regroup before acting. Before speaking. Before spending. Before signing. Before pressing send on that email.
The pause is a way to stop and notice what’s actually around you. The clouds formed so beautifully in the afternoon sky. The press of your dog’s body against your legs. The divine smell of the coffee just placed in front of you. The happiness in the laughter you hear down the hall.
The pause is a way to show up to this current moment. Because when we’re in this current moment, we’re not revisiting things from our past that make us feel sad or resentful or hurt. We’re not projecting into the (non-existent) future and worrying about what might happen or what could be. We are 100% here, right now. And chances are, in this exact moment, everything is (at least mostly) okay.
Isn’t that a wonderful thing to feel? That everything is actually okay, even if just for a few minutes?
The pause is a way to keep from acting out of an emotional, non-objective frame of mind. This, for me, is the real catch. I hate feeling regret and I almost always do after I speak in anger or send a text or email from a place of frustration. Taking a moment of pause allows me to think and consider before reacting. It allows me to check in with my body. With my emotions. With my head. And I ask that all important question: in sending this email, making this call, speaking these words—what am I hoping to gain? Striking out an another person is never quite reason enough. And if there is no other real, lasting, potential change to be had by my communication then perhaps it isn’t worth it.
In that way the pause isn't just an art. It is also a necessity. It is a way of touching base with present reality before taking an action that will affect future reality.
In touching base with the present moment, and in approaching that moment clothed in gratitude, I'm able to obtain perspective that to me is unobtainable any other way.
I hope you join me in seeking out moments today and every day this week to pause and notice. You just might find more beauty and perspective in that moment than you can possibly imagine.
With big love and gratitude,
Lisa