A DAILY PAUSE

365 Pauses

Ready for Recovery? The Pause Tool

Posted on June 29, 2018

Connecting PAUSE with teachers for Pause Teacher Training for the schools and with providers devoting their lives to helping people heal from addiction and move on to live meaningful, doing their part lives! Grateful to Pastor Amber Cole of Missouri Coalition of Recovery Support Providers for inviting us to share Pause for Inspiration at their Eastern Regional Conference. They are a faith-based organization focusing on community, love, acceptance, purpose, health and recovery. Many expressed the need to connect the treatment world, transitional living facilities and the recovery community stating that there is more than one path to recovery. Shared PAUSE with Karla May, a Missouri State Representative, and a candidate for Missouri State Senate, who said she loves our kind of material and will absolutely read our book, Pause for Inspiration in the midst of everyday life. Matthew Melton, commissioner of the St. Louis Circuit Drug Court was happy to receive our Pause materials, saying he is always looking for new ways to help those facing addiction and ready for recovery. Free downloads, Pause Practice cards, visit: PauseForInspiration.org

Pause During Conversations – A Deeper Connection

Posted on June 25, 2018

in Moving in the Pause

by Mary Lenihan

Have you ever asked for INSPIRATION and it immediately showed up? Wow, I was just driving to the PAUSE studio where we create in the pause, (I say this now instead of “work”), and while driving I was pondering the fear of pausing. What is it about the thought of pausing that can make us anxious? At that moment, my phone rings and it was a friend offering to volunteer for PAUSE. In our conversation he began telling me a story about something else that he has told a number of times. In the midst of his talking, he paused, and emphatically said, “You know, I’ve told this story over and over and it’s just an excuse . . . an excuse not to do what I know I need to do!”

Today I’m A Kid

Posted on June 20, 2018

in Moving in the Pause

by Mary Lenihan

Some days I need the basics – the basic pause. Today I am busy harassing myself about all kinds of things; what I am ordering myself to get done, what to eat, when am I going to find time to move this body, what to write for this article etc. A stagnant fog is taking up residence in my mind and no amount of caffeine seems to be changing the atmosphere. I pause. I give up harassing myself long enough to reach into my purse for a KIDS CAN PAUSE practice card. “Ah, this will do the trick,” I sigh with the thought of relief coming in the not so distant future.

Inspiration Asks a Question!

Posted on June 13, 2018

in Moving in the Pause

by Mary Lenihan

There is something we all want in this life and though we may not be able to describe it or name it exactly, I will venture to give it a descriptive name, “simple, uncomplicated LOVE.” Here we are, all of us, making up this world. That’s right, we are making the world. The world is not a separate entity. It is not going away through my ignorance, denial, inattention, calling it an illusion or plopping it in someone else’s lap. Last I checked, this world, that would be all of us, needed some help. What kind of help? Simple, uncomplicated LOVE.

Inspiration is asking for volunteers. The cubicle self is volunteering dispiritedness and selling dispiritedness, often at a hefty price. Your Inspired Self is volunteering simple, uncomplicated LOVE, and that’s free! The choice is mine. Which will I volunteer in this moment? What I choose I get. What I get, the world gets.

The Pause Practice helps me volunteer simple, uncomplicated LOVE!

(excerpt from Pause for Inspiration, in the midst of everyday life; Living Health)

Pause For Humility

Posted on June 4, 2018

in Moving in the Pause

by Mary Lenihan

What does humility mean to you? I could pull some good sounding words out my cubicle mind/me-character hat to answer this question, but I won’t. Instead I will share how confused I was about humility most of my life. Probably like many of us I once thought to be humble was to hide behind the curtain, let people step all over you, don’t speak up or loudly enough so anyone can hear you, and don’t stir the pot. Turns out this is not what it is to practice humility. Yes, I am seeing that humility, like Pause for Inspiration, is a practice. A practice in letting go of who I think I am in exchange for who I am truly.

Women Rising Up In The Pause

Posted on May 18, 2018

in Moving in the Pause

by Mary Lenihan

These women are rising up to learn, practice, experience, and teach the Pause Practice Tool to those in their community, at work, their neighborhoods, schools, and with families, and friends. Pause for Inspiration is a grassroots movement and our grass will only grow as ordinary people hop on board to practice Pause and share with those in their midst, as inspired. Years ago I was concerned about how I was going to accomplish getting this message out on my own, then I heard Inspiration Within come into my mind with a gentle correction, “Mary, Pause for Inspiration does not belong to you, it belongs to the whole world.” I was immensely relieved as I could lay my ego belief that I was the queen of the jungle aside.

What a story! Literally, within a few day period, I received emails and phone calls from each of these women, not one knowing the other, all asking if there was a Pause training available as they would like to learn more about the practice and share it with others. Wendy, the first woman I connected with, whose background is in Human Resources, said, “I can begin training this Friday.” I about fell off my kitchen stool as I sure wasn’t thinking I was ready to begin this Friday since it was Tuesday! So, I called Natalie, who is a real estate broker and yoga teacher, and she was ready to go on Friday. Got in touch with Maxine, who teaches adult continuing education, and she was thrilled to begin Friday. Eileen, a social worker for a nonprofit jumped on board, and Bridget, an educator, was ready, willing and able anytime. Three days later we all show up at the Pause Studio and begin our training, sharing, laughing, and exploring the Practice of Pause for Inspiration, The 4 Decisions.

Now, each woman is a “Pause Light” in the world. Our next step is leading them through our “Preparing the Pause Mentor” training where together we will dive more deeply into the Pause curriculum we use to teach the practice in more structured settings, such as schools.

Stretching Beyond What Seems Impossible

Posted on May 18, 2018

in Moving in the Pause, Uncategorized

by Mary Lenihan

Pause is a practice in stretching beyond what seems impossible. Today I found my Self remembering Mark Madsen who moved beyond his disability by being willing to Pause and See Himself Another Way. Mark was a Professor of Voice and self-named Pause Ambassador.

After attending a Pause retreat weekend, Mark, living as a paraplegic after a car accident shared, “You were Inspiration’s instrument that was the impetus for me to live a much fuller life and sharing my light and gifts with others.” Mark and I recorded “Inspired To Be Truly Helpful” together in his music studio and even danced together at one of his concerts. He stretched himself! Sharing once to some of us, “As a paraplegic, to move in a group or as a couple – I want to do this more and I am feeling strongly inspired to making music with my computer. I would love to sing with you.”

Mark went on to teach, sing, perform and truly was one of the most enlightened people I have ever been graced to truly encounter.

Fathers and Daughters Pause

Posted on May 18, 2018

in Moving in the Pause

by Mary Lenihan

Grateful for the father of these precious daughters who cares and shares the practice of Pause for Inspiration in the midst of everyday life with his girls. Grateful for these young women being willing to what The Pause is, experience pausing for their Helpful Self, and take this photo!

Their father came across a Pause for Inspiration, “The 4 Decisions” practice card and immediately seeing its usefulness laminated several for his daughters! Driving them to school one morning, one of his daughters was posting on social media and he suggested, “You might want to use the Pause practice before posting that.” Sure enough, after thinking about the Pause Practice, she decided not to press “Post.”

What Does Inviting Inspiration Within to Help Mean to You?

Posted on May 18, 2018

in Moving in the Pause

by Mary Lenihan

We are teaching the practice of Pause for Inspiration “The 4 Decisions” with the young men and women at Roosevelt High School and St. Louis Job Corps Center, both located in St. Louis City. The Pause Practice involves slowing down, getting out of our own way and opening to connecting with one’s Helpful Self, Inspired Mind, while living everyday life.

The 3rd Decision is, Step Aside: The Decision to Invite Inspiration Within to Help.

We asked the students, “What does that mean to you?” Here are three of their inspired responses: