You read that right - I'm looking for the pause button.
The one that will allow me to take a deep breath and, well, pause.
The remote control for the DVD player has a pause button......
My iPod has a pause button......
Red lights make me pause when I'm driving.......
Waiting in lines actually make one pause......
What I woke up this morning thinking about was finding Life's Pause Button. I'm not asking everything around me to stop, I'm not asking for anyone else to slow down, I just want the ability to hit pause every once in a while, until I catch my breath. 2008! How did it get to be 2008 already???
I'm not feeling evolved enough at this moment to get into an articulate discussion on being present in the moment, or a discussion on mindfulness, or having soulful moments. I don't need a reminder that we all need to slow down and smell the roses. My brain knows all that, and I expect you know that too. Our lives are so full with non-stop activities, to-do lists, meetings, errands, constant stimuli, and internal and external pressures to "do more".
Because honestly, there will always be more to be done. Always. Acknowledging that no matter how hard I work, how many hours I concentrate, or how good my intentions, I'll never get it all done. And that's really OK. I just need to remind myself of that every now and then.
What I need is a way to remind myself to take a pause whenever I need to. A deep breath, a relaxing of my shoulders, an appreciation for my life and opportunities, and a great big exhale.
My steaming cup of coffee in front of a warm fire, with the sunlight streaming through the window was my morning's pause button.
What reminds you to enjoy a pause? I'd love to hear your comments.
8 comments:
Pause... what a wonderful topic for today. I spent my day on "full speed ahead" and managed to get lots done. But did I stop, pause, notice?
I watched the birds several times today... they often invite me to pause & appreciate.
But I couldn't stop my compulsive cleaning until I called a good friend as an "excuse" to sit and relax. How sad is that?
Most days I'm better than I was today about taking care of myself. Today, well, it's just one day. And it's a lovely evening. I'm pausing to read several blogs. I do that most evenings to relax and enjoy myself before bed.
Pat,
I'm glad you enjoyed the birds and called a friend. My problem on the phone is I use that time to sweep, dust, move papers, etc. Hands-free technology makes me feel like my hand should always be busy! I think I'll try to make an effort to knit while I'm on the phone. It'd be much more polite, don't you think? ;->
I'm going to try posting more often, so check back in soon if you can.
Jan
My body tells me to pause. My breathe tells me to pause...when it becomse short and staccato I know to pause. Also, I don't normally rush or get into overload just out of habit now. Slow and sure is a personal motto! ;)
karoda, I will be working more on listening to my body - hopefully noticing before I'm tense and my breath is short.....thanks for sharing your personal motto - it's a good one!
Jan
i paused this morning in a moment of thankfulness....we had horrific weather in SW MO last night and i'm glad that my family and friends are all fine. (63 tornado warnings in all for the ozarks)
Sharon,
So happy to hear you and your family and friends are all fine. I think you inpired another moment of pause for many of us. Thanks for sharing.
Jan
Its interesting b/c I've thought about this a lot lately. I have a high stress job that requires a lot of my time and with 2 small children - trying to find the pause seems like a fruitless search. Everyone once in a while, however, happening across a site with a post like this, or perhaps something else makes me pause. I've recently started recording the animal planet's series called "sunrise earth" its 30 mins of stillness as the sun rises in different parts of the world. I watch it sometimes at night and it allows me to pause - even if I can't for the whole 30 mins! :) Nice blog! Found you on ravelry. I'm 'coconuts' there.
Rhonda,
Thanks for leaving your comments and glad this post meshed with your recent thoughts, too! Enjoy those small children - I blinked and now I have 2 teenagers ;->
See you on Ravelry - it seems I check in there - and then another hour has passed......
Jan
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