Teens Learning The Value of Pause

This photo makes me smile. The unique energy of each teen, their faces, and the teen in the white/black sweatshirt holding up the PAUSE for LOVE green bumper sticker all lift my heart. These girls taught my friend and Pause volunteer, Bridget and me a lot about the challenges we all face in
deciding to Practice The Pause in daily life.
Bridget Long, Ph.D., an educator, would tell stories about how we judge one another and the effect it has on our relationship with ourselves and others. The teens truly resonated with her sharing of her own life experience. It was invaluable. We experience this in our sharing Pause again and again showing us how we are all truly connected.
Bridget would share how Pause is a helpful tool we can use to
“suspend judgment”. How helpful is that!

I am unceasingly amazed by what teens teach me about Pause!

When we meet with the young women and men each week,
we always ask, “So, did you have any opportunities to use The Pause
since we saw you last?” If they forgot, we ask, “Looking back do you now see times you perhaps could have paused, gotten out of your own way, listened to Your Helpful Self, and followed your inner guidance?” 

One teen’s Pause story I will never forget

“Yeah, a friend and I went to a party over the weekend. There were a lot of people there we didn’t know. Some guys asked my friend and me to go with them somewhere. As I was about to get in the car,
I paused and decided
it wasn’t a good idea. So, we didn’t get in the car.”

This story shows how applying Pause in the stuff of an ordinary day,
has the potential to change our lives for the better,
in ways seen and unseen.

Your Helpful Self is Always
Safe, Wise, Kind, and Truly Helpful.