The last few days I've been contemplating the power of the pause. The idea was triggered by a family 1st grader who has mastered the frustration of interruption. When annoyed by being interrupted in a project, she will hold up a hand that clearly signals "stop", as she firmly orders "Pause", until she is ready to divert attention from her task. It is a quite polished command. The charm of it initiated my contemplation on our human capacity to pause. While pausing is a form of stopping, it's power comes from it's temporary nature. We suspend action temporarily. That suspension can be a moment, or a much longer stretch of time; it can be restful, reflective, or disruptive. It can be calculated for a deliberate effect (creating a silence that invites the speculation of others, a moment of suspense), or it may signal our hesitancy and uncertainty.
We can pause by physically stopping activity and/or movement, and we can pause mentally, internally cutting off a stream of thought, letting our thoughts "rest" or fall silent. Pausing emotionally is a bit more difficult, requiring more practice, because our emotional states involve both physical and mental quieting. We can pause to "take in", as in letting ourselves be suspended in time, immersed in music, or absorbed in a sunset view, when the beauty of the moment suspends worry, or anger, or even physical pain. Or we can pause to "let go" to silence and the stillness of meditation.
Spiritually, our capacity to Pause is an aspect of our intuitive nature. In these shifting, unsettled times, we learn to lean on the inner directive, the guidance that is both a natural flow from this Life, this World we belong to, and the larger Transcendent Field I call God. We can Pause, in inner listening, for direction. We can Pause in silence, whatever form our religion or meditation path. Those Pauses may be brief, but powerful--simply stopping, and turning to That. Other times, there may be a restlessness, perhaps an invitation to a Pause in the routine and rhythm of your set order. New doors open unexpectedly. It's not always so clear where we are headed, and what we should do differently, if anything at all. The power of Pause is useful here. Those who are impulsive, might benefit through Pausing before acting. Those who are bound by strict routine, yet pulled to the unfamiliar, might benefit by a Pause in the fixed order of repetition. Pause can be a window of experimentation. The beauty of Pause is that it is flexible--suspending ideas, temporarily shifting action, and evaluating what unfolds.
Regardless of the social order's pressure of constant urgency, not all things are urgent. Spiritually, there remains stillness, peace, and the saintly, "leisureliness of eternity." Consider this week that you have time to Pause, reconsider, listen, absorb, discover the way for you, now. (Susan Nettleton)
for poetry:
https://www.nickleforce.com/poetry/2017/7/12/pause-now
https://morethanmindful.com/wp-content/uploads/Between-Going-and-Staying.pdf