The Transformational Pause

PAUSE.

I came across the word - querencia. It’s defined as:

The place where one’s strength is drawn from;

where one feels at home; the place where you are

your most authentic self. 

Your soul. A pause allows us to reconnect … with our authentic self…our querencia, to TRANSFORM.

When we go! go! go! throughout the day, we disconnect, we function on the surface- reacting:

In a state of FLIGHT or FIGHT.

Our lives are busy. We are racing, sometimes literally, from one thing or person to the next.

What was supposed to be a joyful and uplifting connection becomes just one more thing or person to check off our growing list for the day. Or worse - an inconvenience.

When our head finally hits our pillow at night, we fall asleep exhausted and full of the stresses of our day. Our sleep, if we fall asleep, is anything but restful.

And then - the day begins again. Over and over and over…

PAUSE.

Close your eyes and settle your soul - this will TRANSFORM the next step you take, the next conversation you have, the next decision you make.

During Job’s darkest times, he is told to:

“Pause a moment and listen; consider the wonderful things that God has done.”

Job 37:14

Listen to Truth. Reflect on Gratitude.

Everyone can find a couple minutes throughout the day to PAUSE. I have found that three minutes gives you time to release and refocus your mind. There is no perfect description of what your pause should be like but I have found some ways that help guide my pause:

1) Find a place where you can be undisturbed for about 3 minutes. Maybe that is in your car, sitting on a park bench, or over your morning coffee.

2) Set the timer on your phone for 3 minutes.

3) Close your eyes.

4) Begin focusing on your breathing. This helps to settle your thoughts.

5) Reflect on your day so far and mentally call to mind all that has happened that you are grateful for - maybe it’s having this time to PAUSE, maybe it’s that you pressed snooze on your alarm and got 8 more minutes of sleep, maybe it’s the sweet text from your friend…

My 98 year old grandma Dorothy wakes up every morning and the first thing she does is sit up and thank God for her two feet - she is grateful to be alive.

6) Next, if time allows, reflect on your TRUTH. Release - breathe out any lies, fears of the moment, limiting beliefs and breathe in TRUTH, your empowering TRUTH.

I RELEASE ______________________

AND

I EMBRACE ___________________ .

7) Experience your senses - the sounds around you, the smells, the sensations…PEACEFUL BREATHS…

8) When your timer goes off after 3 minutes, open your eyes and see beauty, see God and take your next step for the day - empowered and full of gratitude and truth.

PAUSE to hear God’s voice in your soul through the loudness of the voices in your mind. TRUTH.

PAUSE to settle your soul in the chaos of the day. PEACE.

PAUSE to see your way clearly through the fog. CLARITY.

Practice the Transformational Pause and EMBRACE your journey - empowered and full of life.