Give Yourself Permission To PAUSE

A mother had already made three announcements to her two children to come to the dining table. The fourth time was loud and followed a physical action- Mom grasped the remote and pressed the PAUSE button.

A few tantrums followed, but the silence in Mother’s look said it all. The children were at the dining table. Once seated, Mother called her domestic help to take the food back and bring it when asked for. She looked at the children and said, “Did you notice? when I pressed the ‘Pause” button, the machine immediately stopped. But when humans are asked to ‘pause’ they begin. Before the food is brought back, I need three minutes of your listening.

“It may seem petty today but it was hard for you to ‘pause’. Tomorrow the inability to choose ‘pause’ at the right time may bring difficult consequences. Let me explain.”

There is great value in practicing ‘Pause’. Self-care means giving yourself permission to pause. Slow down your mind, heart and body so that you can say yes to what is truly important in that moment. When you give yourself permission to ‘pause’, you create space for peace, perspective and presence.

Many times, in life, you may want to react harshly, but need to pause and avoid saying or doing things you will regret later. Pause for a moment and just reflect. The right word may be effective but no word is ever effective as a rightly timed pause.

Patience is the long pause between action and its consequences. It is ok to pause. You don’t lose your worth when you choose to rest. Rest is not a pause from life; it is part of it.

Watch for traits in you that shape your pause. Habits make people act quickly without pausing. A cautious, sceptical attitude may make you look for hidden risks and wait. Past mistakes teach the brain when a situation needs extra care. Strong inner character helps a person hold back and choose a wise path instead of rushing.

A human pause is triggered when two different choices or ideas fight for control: when unfamiliar sights, sounds or events break automatic routines: when facts are unclear; or conflict with personal values.

Mindfulness is the courage to pause when everything around you demand action. A two second pause turns impulse into decision. Now and then it is good to pause in our pursuit of happiness.

As you get older, whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it may be time to pause and reflect. PAUSE is a practice that trains your inner world and, over time, becomes a reflection of the person you have worked to become.

In Gurbani those who read the scriptures will notice the word Rahau (pause) appearing frequently in many shabads (hymns). It literally means to Pause while reciting the hymn and repeat that line, for it contains the central idea of the Shabad, asking the reader to pause and contemplate. There is a spiritual discipline of pause- an intentional stopping of active work, speaking, or reacting- to create a sacred gap of stillness and reconnect with the Divine or inner peace.

Mom paused her conversation and called her domestic help to serve the hot food. In her concluding words she said: “All that is important comes in quietness and waiting. Pause before judging, pause before assuming, pause before accusing,”

The food had not arrived, but there was silence at the table, each listening to the whispers of the real you waiting to happen. There was no anger to strike back, no fear to defend, no ego to prove something.