13th November, 2022
We are racing to get ahead of others. We eat fast, work fast and are reluctant to slow down for anything. Impatience, restlessness, and loss of emotional control take a toll on whatever we think, feel and do.
To hit the pause button enables us to get the much-needed breathing space that is only ours.
‘Practice the Pause’ is a famous life quote used by Lori Deschene, An American author.
It simply means a learned skill, where you take a break, stop or cease to react, speak or act.
Lori recommends
Pause before judging,
Pause before assuming,
Pause before accusing.
Pause whenever you’re about to react harshly& you’ll avoid doing and saying things you’ll regret later.
Do not react to the various events in your life automatically, rather stop for some time and think about the situation, before responding to it.
‘Practice the Pause’ is a lifelong good habit for our ultimate well being. Just pause for some time and be with the present moment.
For me, the two areas where I need to practise the pause is
A) The anger pause:
We need to stop our instant and knee jerk response to the various stimuli that we come across. Example – irritation and rage during a traffic snarl which makes us restless.
Connect to your wiser self by learning to cease, understand and then act.
This pause needs to be taken to control your anger. You become angry when you do not get the desired response which you think is right. Anger demands immediate catharsis of our negative emotions. Reacting to what is said to us without thinking about the bad effects of it needs to be stopped.
Anger impacts your relationships so it is desirable to practice the pause to maintain a healthy connection.
A little pause helps you to analyze the situation logically and assertively. It ensures peaceful negotiations of issues.
Take time out before reacting harshly so that you need not repent later.
When you pause in an angry situation, you develop the ability to master your emotions and do not let your anger overcome you.
B) the Doubt pause
A doubtful person can neither be comfortable with themselves nor with others. It is necessary to take a pause or cease your feelings and actions temporarily when you feel doubtful.
It gives you a chance to look into the situation more clearly and then respond to it. You can use your past experiences and learning to analyze the reasons for your doubt.
The pause enables you to find out the unawareness about the situation or the self.
A break or pause helps to evaluate your intentions and emotions that surround it.
Taking a pause also helps to quieten the thoughts and reflect on what lies under the triggers.
Practise the pause, start with this Sunday & stay blessed forever.