Learning to Pause

Yes, I am a middle-aged woman but pause is not a play on menopause. It is about learning to pause, really, honestly. Today is Easter Sunday. For me, the Easter season is a time of reflection, a time of renewal and rebirth at a time when all seems lost. One of the most special Easter Weeks I have ever celebrated occurred when Passover began on Good Friday. The messianic Jewish members of my church, who continued to celebrate Passover, brought their Seder to our general church congregation. It was the first Seder that I ever attended. The Seder itself, was the Last Supper, a celebration of liberation, freedom from slavery. This morning I intended to rise, pray and reflect on the past year. Instead I woke with the anxiety of the day ahead. As a child, I was a great worry-er, but went through a period of relative peace during my 20’s and 30’s. The late 40s? Back to worry. Worry about the markets, retirement, getting the most out of life, contributing to life, relationships, you name it. What will happen on call? More worries. I know that the state of worry is not the spiritual intention of the state of life. Is worrying the curse of encroaching middle age? I certainly hope not. I could blame the media, the news, terrorism and cancer. But I won’t go down that road.

With the amount of stimulation that we all face in a given day it is easy for the mind to race and wander. What is a person to do to maintain a semblance of calm, deliberation, concentration? Worrying does not make any life situation less likely to happen. It simply spoils present moment enjoyment.

I don’t know. A day that I deeply care about got away from me before I pulled one foot out of bed and put it on the floor. This is what I am going to do. In the morning, when I rise, but before I make a move for that first cup of coffee, I am going to read a passage from a book, sit and reflect. I will do this for the next 30 days and report back. This will be my effort to pause.

What are you presently doing to pause before jumping into the rigors of your day?
Please comment.