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The power of pausing...with purpose

In today's hyper-connected, always-on world, busyness is a status symbol, and our need for speed often overtakes our sense of direction. Between balancing our personal lives and our careers, keeping track of the 24/7 news cycle, and curating our social media presence, it's become almost impossible to shut off our devices and our brains. Slowing down, taking a break and pausing to reflect have become rather daring acts, or have been relegated to being associated certain milestones (project completion) or occasions (anniversaries).

Why is it so hard to hit the pause button?
  • being busy can be a source of pride sometimes even purpose
  • taking a break or taking some rest is considered more of a reward as opposed to being a necessary part of the process
  • pausing or slowing down is often mistakenly associated with inaction or laziness or even worse, incompetence.
  • fear of missing out or being left behind forces us to be always on, always available and always busy
And the price we pay for not pausing with purpose, of not slowing down, ranges from not being able to be present in the moment, to experiencing emotional/physical burnout, to being too busy to learn/grow from experience.

Why is it so important to pause/slow down?
  • Slowing down allows us to take back control of our lives and our experiences. It provides us with greater clarity, and the opportunity to listen, observe and take cues from our environment and those around us.
  • Pausing with purpose, pausing to reflect allows us to learn and grow from experience, which in turn helps us make better decisions.
  • Slowing down is a vital element of self-care. We can't pour from an empty cup - pausing to refill is what helps us complete the marathon successfully.
In this compelling TEDx Talk, Ralph Simone impresses upon us the need to stop being busy and start being focused. He also talks about how slowing down allows for the space for grace - which according to him, is a space where our full attention intersects with the present moment. How powerful is that! Ralph then challenges us to try out the following four experiments in order to help us ease into the practice of slowing down: breathing slower, eating slower, easing into the day, and driving to the speed limit.

Are you ready to slow down and pause with purpose?

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