Peace be with you
choose a daily activity

Somehow it seems we tend not to associate PEACE with being practical. Being peaceful and accomplishing practical tasks of daily life can be set apart from one another as if we can’t be at peace and do the stuff of daily life at the same time. We may see it this way:

DAILY LIFE = stress

PEACE = find a way to escape daily life

A Practical Solution = PAUSE for INSPIRATION

= PEACE in DAILY LIFE

recognize what stresses you out

pause for inner wisdom

choose another way

peace

Who’s Getting Your Goat?

As I sat at my computer to begin the day’s work, which includes designing today’s Pause Post that I had already handwritten during morning quiet, I was guided to Practice Pause, The 4 Decisions, BEFORE beginning creating.

Pause is Practical ~ Lightening the Work Load because
my mind is at peace.

As I reached the third decision, I received a different Pause Post! “Step Aside” suggests asking two questions in any communication, relationship, activity, situation, or circumstance:

Is there another way to see this?
What would be truly helpful now?

While moving through The Pause, I became aware of persons with whom I feel friction. I feel unseen and judged.
Simultaneously, and this is important, I began experiencing a
spaciousness with each phrase of pause, and in between phrases;
a spaciousness giving me a place to rest.

As I arrived at the two questions above and asked these two questions, Inspiration answered these two questions by leading me to ask three more questions:

Inspiration within,
How do you see me?
How shall I see myself?
What is a truly helpful way for me to live today, for my peace of mind?

This took the focus off of how others see me, how I see others, and
how I see others seeing me.

Inspiration doesn’t want us distracted and blinded by “others” or ego meanderings but rather focused on Inspiration! 

Now, we can reap the Peace, Love, and Wisdom provided us during this focus.

. . . and so, now I am,
. . . and you too can

Practically meet the demands of everyday life with peace of mind.

The Choice to Follow Inner Wisdom

An Experience Shared by Natalie, a Pause Crew Member

Do you ever experience a deep inner nudge to act, do, or say something that you don’t fully understand until later? For me, it may arouse curiosity, interest, or even a splash of concern that guides me to investigate a situation.

Well, recently, when I was out in the front yard watering flowers, I saw something that piqued my interest. I continued to work in my garden, while keeping an eye on the situation. But as I Paused, I began feeling this deep inner nudge to check things out…..

There was a tiny little boy, wearing Spiderman pajamas, walking down the asphalt trail that connects my street to the neighborhood beyond. I kept expecting to see his parents appear from behind the privacy fence that runs along the side of trail, but they never came.

As he proceeded to walk slowly past my house, kicking rocks and talking to himself, I began to turn off the hose and found myself gently calling out to him. I asked him where he was going. I asked him where his mommy and daddy were. I’m no expert on knowing the age of children, as I don’t have any, but I couldn’t understand a word he was saying, so as a guess, he was maybe 2 years old, if that? So, I took his sweet little hand and told him I’d help him find his family.

We walked together up the trail into the next neighborhood. I scanned up and down the street fulling expecting (hoping) to find a frantic mom running about, but all was quiet. I assured him we would find his parents.

I took him home with me, called 911, and told them what I’d found. They said they’d already received a call from his mom. Phew! They also told me what street he lived on. This adorable little child had walked about two blocks all by himself. The police came, he was reunited with his family, and all was well.

Sometimes, we’re in the right place,
at the right time, and we get a nudge.
It’s our choice to get curious or ignore the nudge.
Maybe we don’t have time or we’re not in the mood
or we’re just not clued in to
listening to our Inner Wisdom
guiding us to act,
do, or say, something helpful.
This is where the Pause Practice helps us
get out of our own way,
so that our Inner Wisdom can come forward,
to guide us to be Truly Helpful,
here and now.

It’s amazing how much help I can receive when I am willing to TRUST THE PAUSE!!! Not only is our sprinkler system getting all straightened out as I write this, but I have a Pause Experience to share with you today as a result of THE LAWN GUY AND ME PAUSING for CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.

I had every reason NOT to pause:

1. Lawn guy arrives 90′ early interfering with my plans-creating today’s post.
2. Our lawn guy is on vacation; here’s a person unfamiliar with the issues.
3. Our usual guy didn’t leave notes from his last visit, so we’re clueless.
4. He didn’t know anything about replacing a broken part; no notes, no part!

I decided to pause and thankfully so did, Paul, the new guy.
I stepped back from the unplanned interruption to my work schedule.

1. Walking down the driveway, I whisper to the trees and our house, “I am so thankful I live here. I trust Inspiration to provide today’s Pause Post.”
2. At the van, Paul’s smile seems to roll down his window as he says, “I know I’m here way early, I apologize for that.”
3. Paul is a great listener as I stand sweating in the sun explaining the many things that need attention. 
4. Together we take a pause walk up the drive and around the yard examining the grass, trees, and plants.
5. Paul is super helpful: finds part needing replacing, shows me how the squirrels have nibbled away at the soaker and changes out that section, he can address the fungi, and follows through on my request to check on the rain sensor. This guy is patient, thorough, and communicates clearly while pausing to be truly helpful.

I am thrilled!!!! Paul just called. HE FOUND A VENDOR FOR OUR BROKEN PART FOR OUR WATER SOURCE, HE’S GOING TO PICK IT UP, and WILL RETURN TO REPLACE IT TODAY. He says to me, “I am so grateful I found this part today.” This guy is expressing gratitude and I feel gratitude too!!!

INspiration IS our perpetual SOURCE and it doesn’t break or leak.

Initially I saw this as an annoying interruption, yet it turned out to be uplifting, work got done, and I received an experience to share with you for today’s Pause Post. 

 INspiration is ready to attend to all the details when we are willing to Pause, Get Out of the Way, Listen for A Better Way, and follow moment-to-moment as Wisdom provides the help we need.

Willing Breath

Key to applying PAUSE in daily life is WILLINGNESS!

What Is It To Be Willing? Say “YES”.

Saying, “Yes” ~ I will give my mind a rest.

Saying, “Yes” ~ I will step off my merry-go-round.

Saying, “Yes” ~ I will push the Pause button on my thought treadmill.

Saying, “Yes” ~ I will open my heart a smidgeon.

Saying, “Yes” ~ I will breathe breath into my body.

Willing Breath Practice

Between each statement of willingness, inhale through your nose followed by a longer exhale through your mouth:

I am willing to let my mind slow down in this moment.
   inhale ~ nose
  longer exhale ~ mouth

I am willing to allow room for a Truly Helpful Way.
   inhale ~ nose 
   longer exhale ~ mouth 

I am willing to receive Wisdom’s Peace, Calm, and Help.
   inhale ~ nose 
  longer exhale ~ mouth 

I am willing to listen to this inner Help I have received and follow its way.
  inhale ~ nose 
   longer exhale ~ mouth

~ pause & acknowledge your willingness to practice

Shared from the Pause Golden Book, Page 28

Let Inspiration Guide

The decision to choose my Inspired Mind
and follow the Wisdom of Inspiration. 

A choice is upon you.
Decide for or against Love, for or against Joy, for or against Hope.
Your choosing to forget about Inspiration
is the choice to forget who you are.

The decision to follow Wisdom
is the choice for your True Self.

You are free to choose
and you are choosing every moment.
Do you want to know who you are?

Follow.

To follow Wisdom is to be Wise.
Contrary to cubicle belief, following is not passive or apathetic.

The Inspired Strength inside of you
becomes useful when you follow Inspiration Within.
You are always choosing and trusting.
You follow whatever or whomever you choose and trust.
Choose and trust wisely.
The intricate details of the path ahead of you
— exactly where you are being led —
may not be known to you.
This is actually helpful,
because if you knew too much about the trip,
you would start planning it!

The Wisdom of Inspiration is being held in you.
Following this Wisdom is choosing your Inspired Mind,
for this Wisdom communicates with you
through your Inspired Mind.

Following this Wisdom is choosing who you truly are!
Wisdom about everything,
from doing the laundry, to
your health, to your relationships,
your work, and all other matters.
Do not be afraid.

Follow the Wisdom Within;
you will never be given more Wisdom
than you can handle in any given moment! 

The Following is shared from the Pause Golden Book, Pages 101 & 134

INSPIRING SELF MIND

THIS IS A MISSION FOR MY INSPIRED SELF MIND

I experience quality of life through
the practice of Being Truly Helpful.

Being Truly Helpful brings awareness
of my connectedness to Inspiration Within
and to one another.

I am willing to be a living expression
of Inspiration in the world.

Are you willing to do your part?
Your part is all you really can do.
You cannot do someone else’s part.
No one else can do your part.
What is your part?

Letting your mind be healed.
Letting your heart be healed.

By Seeing with INSPIRATION
One–to–One
NOW! 

Here’s how it works:

As I am now seeing you with my Inspired Self, You are now INSPIRED, whether you know it or not. In an unforeseen moment, having been seen truly, you will be moved to look upon another truly; in this moment, INSPIRATION is extended and you will experience your Inspired Self.

Thus, my willingness begins a chain of INSPIRATION One-to-One bringing healing to the world. How is this healing? It awakens us to our sense of connectedness; to ourselves, to one another and to INSPIRATION. We are moved from believing we are separate to experiencing we are connected.

IN AWARENESS OF OUR CONNECTEDNESS,
INSPIRATION IS INSPIRING US ALL! 

Today is my birthday. I awoke early this morning to the sound of an owl. Listening to his “whoing” I remembered who I am, all that I am. There is something about birthdays . . . I easily give into JOY, I am swept up by LOVE, and notice I am wrapped in GRACE.

Grace upon grace upon grace. 
A LOVE that does not vanish, a freedom that cannot be stolen,
a forever welcome.

And it is through grace that I can now give myself the gift of accepting that I am worthy. In receiving my worthiness I now recognize worthiness in everyone and this is how we extend this gift to one another. 

Wondering about the owl’s message, I see an image of an enormous crater with an immense LIGHT beaming into its depths. I am re-minded that we are anchored in LOVE and can rest assured that LOVE doesn’t know how to let go of us, so it won’t, ever. Our worthiness is a done deal.
No matter what.

So whatever has occurred or has not occurred in our lives that can lead to feelings, thoughts, and experiences of being unworthy, we don’t need to repress it, oppress it, project it, or pretend it did or didn’t happen.

Instead, when I, you, we hear those little voices in our heads telling us
we are not worth it, we screwed up, we can choose to respond:
with a deep breath,
a remembrance of the LOVE to whom I am eternally anchored,
and accept that I am worthy.

I will not look to ego validation to verify my worthiness. That’s a slippery slope, an unworthiness trap. 

Rather, I am resting in LOVE, for LOVE is my worthiness supply.

The demand, the need for people to know and experience their worthiness is high these days. Thankfully there is no supply chain issue where worthiness is concerned, no foreign relations obstruction, no politicizing of true worthiness, and no one or nothing can destroy the worthiness I am, you are, and we all are as One.

And here is the clincher for me; I am not being asked to believe that I am worthy, rather I am being called to accept that I am worthy.
I am not being expected to believe others are worthy,
rather I am beckoned to accept that everyone is worthy.
No matter what.

I am worthy, now.
Not because of something I have done, but because of the
Something Spectacular that has already been done in me.

Most judgment is around feeling that someone has
mistreated you or offended you and now you sit in judgment of this one. Or you do not like the way someone
dresses, talks or behaves and you judge them as unworthy for not being like you. The central theme is seeing through the eyes of “difference.” How is this person different from “me”—here is this me-character again—and how is “me” better or worse? You have a choice: judge or forgive.

To forgive is to see—
To see truly.
To see with eyes knowing how to see.
Because these eyes
Know Love.

Forgive as you want to be forgiven. What about consequences and punishment for words and actions that are hateful and cause harm? Forgiveness does not undo the worldly consequences and punishment that one must face. Real forgiveness, however, lets yourself and/or another know inside that even though you or another may have missed the mark, who one truly is, one’s very being, is not undone, but awaits your recognition.

Judgment and consequences
are necessary for a society to function.
Forgiveness is necessary
for Inspiration to function in the world.
Pause Golden Book ~ page 20