Living The Pause

A Sense of Belonging
Even with strangers?

Mary Lenihan

---

When is the last time you experienced a sense of Belonging? “If
people didn’t have this coffee shop to come to, I am not sure where
they would go for community,” said a barista during one of our
occasional, but immediately connected, deep, and brief
conversations. It is often at that coffee shop, the local deli, the
doctor’s waiting room, and numerous other places of daily activities
that I experience a profound sense of belonging with those we call
“strangers”.

Standing in line at the neighborhood deli I noticed an older
man a few feet away seeming perfectly content, unlike myself, as I
was in my usual hurried mode and feeling a bit lonely. As I
gathered raspberry cookies and chocolate covered pineapple off the
enticing shelves, I looked at him and said something about all the
goodies I was balancing in my hands and he said, “That-a girl!”
Instantaneously, I felt my father’s presence.” My dad always
said, “That-a girl” cheering me on. “Thanks,” I responded, “I
needed a ‘That-a girl’ today”. Together we got it ~ we felt we
belonged.

The noise, the crowd, the moods and personalities,
none of it interfered
with our genuinely connecting with one another.

I asked him, “Are you in line?” He responded, “Well, I am
trying to get in line but it’s so crowded I’m not sure how to
get through the crowd.” I showed him the way and people
all stepped back to help him get in line. Now, we all
belonged!

It is that simple to experience a sense of belonging.
To move from disconnection, loneliness, or divisiveness to
Awareness of our True Connection.
From feeling a-part to being WHOLE.

This is what Using One of The Pause Practices
Wherever you are,
Whatever you are doing,
and
Whoever you are with
CAN DO!

THE TONE OF YOUR WHOLE DAY CAN SHIFT &
you will lift up someone else as well.

Stop Resisting ~ Pause Instead?

---

---

---

Sharing by Mary Lenihan

This Second Pause is worth practicing.

One pause is often not enough for me. I have to pause, pause, and
pause! In taking simply a one moment pause, I immediately
return to the feelings, thoughts, and judgments that I had
before my pausing! They are more familiar. I have played this
scene before, and know my lines.

1. Am I willing to cut that scene out?
2. Am I willing to Step Back and open to unfamiliar territory?
3. Am I willing to Step Aside to lower my mask, drop the script,
and receive Inspiration so I can see a Wiser Way?
4. Am I willing to follow inner Wisdom and trek the HIGH ROAD?

The Second Pause is a practice in Humility.
Real Quick, lets break it down!

Who do you trust?

Trust is the recognition that there is Something Greater within me, a
Peace, who knows who I truly am, contrary to all ego evidence
telling me that I am something other than, less than, who I truly am.
How does one practice trusting this Peace?

Choose to Lean into Love instead of fear.
Literally feel yourself leaning into Peace,
the way you lean into a tree.
Let yourself feel supported.

Here’s the deal. Take it or leave it!
ACCEPT or DECLINE

You distrust Inspiration Within because you have
forgotten the “Within” part.
You believe in an Inspiring Love, or not,
that is somehow on the outside ~
somewhere outside of you waiting to
rain down on your head, for better or worse.
That is the untruth.
The truth is that
Love lives inside of you, all around you,
and everywhere in between.
You are not separate from This PEACE.

~

Believe this, or do not believe this.
The fact is, in this life
you will either come to hate/fear Love because
you have not been willing to come to know Love

OR

you will be indifferent towards Love
which is the same as hate/fear

OR

you will come to Love.

It is in letting Love love you,
that you are able to love yourself.
In loving yourself, you are now able to love others.
Such is how one comes to know Love.

One Way to Experience Peace and Knowing?

Pause, I am willing to ask
This Peace and Knowing to reveal itself within me now.
Be still. Receive.
Repeat…

Greater than what I am thinking?

Take no offense. This me-character gets easily offended defending its way of perceiving and thinking. True Knowing, on the other hand, extends this Vast View, seeing us as more worthy than we see ourselves. Our field of vision expands.

Yet still within me?

We covered that above.

The above is from pages 29-31, Pause Golden Book
Download, Open any page, & Read for free
https://pauseforinspiration.org/pause-for-inspiration-book/

 Imagine a Pause

---

---

FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES

Your True Nature

Sharing by Mary Lenihan

This quiet, sweet 5-year-old boy, a St. Louis Cardinals Redbird
Rookie, stands patiently by our Pause table, at this Cardinals
Care event, as I share what Pause is with his mother and sister. His
silence draws my attention. I kneel near him, and without planning
or thinking, I place one hand on his forehead, saying, “You have a
Helpful Self too” and move another hand over his heart saying,
“Your Helpful Self is the LOVE and WISDOM in you.”

I show him the Kids Can Pause Practice card in bright cherry red
– he curiously looks over the card. Our eyes meet as he says, “We
could do this right now.” Oh my, this little guy is tuned in! “Yes,
we can!” I respond.

He suddenly leaps towards me,
wrapping his little arms around
giving me a huge hug that’s getting tighter and closer.
Together, we pause.
He is connecting with his True Nature
and now, so am I.

We may not go around spontaneously hugging people – maybe
we will?! In my experience, when I pause, get out of my own way,
and listen to my True Nature, I notice a tidbit of an inner and/or
outer Peace beyond distractions. I am present.

In this presence, I may gradually begin to experience this Peace
more deeply. Or, I may lose awareness of Peace, and so I pause
again, I get out of my own way again, I listen to my True Nature
again. I follow my Inner Wisdom ~ Safe, Kind, and Truly
Helpful.

As I am WILLING to TRUST THIS PEACE,
I can access and receive
my True Nature.
This is a practice.

GAZE ON PEACE

 Kids Can Pause Works for Adults Too!
Keep it Simple.

---

---

Big Thanks to Natalie and Myron who did some
serious work to make this event happen!

How Can I Meet
My Deepest, Truest Self?

Shared by Mary Lenihan

Getting to know my Deepest, Truest Self has been my longing my
whole life. I am motivated to continue this quest because I am
learning that when I choose my ego/cubicle mind ~ me, myself, and
me again ~ I attempt of my own accord to truly understand, extend
real forgiveness, and Love myself and others beyond our flaws.
Me~myself~and me again can’t do this!

~ ~ ~

My own efforts to understand, forgive, and Love don’t work.
What do I mean? The best I can do on my own in my cubicle mind
is a narrow approach to understanding, a wayward definition of
forgiveness, and a warped version of LOVE. No shame, no blame, I
am simply pointing out the cubicle mind is experiencing separation
from LOVE, WISDOM, and PEACE. In that state there is a void, a
vacancy, a gnawing sense that something is wrong or missing.


Thankfully, our Deepest, Truest Self, in my experience, is fully
available to us always for everything and everyone.
I am free. I am Loved, I am Loving.

I have strived to understand LOVE, TRUTH, human beings,
myself, and this world. At some point, I thought I understood but I
kept seeking because I had no PEACE.

~ ~ ~

One morning many years ago as I sat in meditation, I came upon
an Immense Peace. No effort on my part. I was simply being open.
As I came out of this experience, I received one thought,
“THIS PEACE IS the understanding you’ve been seeking.”
Ah, and so it is. THIS PEACE I experience(d) is not in any way
what I would refer to as what we think of as “understanding”.
What I thought was understanding, was not True Understanding
at all, for I wasn’t at PEACE. It was a fleeting ego satisfaction
that faded away with time.

TRUE PEACE has nothing to do with my
self-centered understanding.

How do you meet your Deepest, Truest Self?

 As I trust a pause, get out of my own way,
Listen within, and follow Peace,
Nothing is lost; Everything is gained.
In my cubicle cage I feel restrained,
My body and heart tell me so.
In my Deepest, Truest Self
I am at Peace.

---

---

A Pause Un~Planned

Mary Lenihan

So Are you a planner? Planners seem organized and focused.
Good stuff. I am not much of a planner. Often, I wish I were,
because perhaps I would be more efficient with my time. On the
other hand, I enjoy my spontaneous nature, which leans into not
planning, which opens me up to INSPIRED POSSIBILITIES! Of
course, planning is essential for much of life . . . but we can still be
in the present moment and play with spontaneity!

I was super enthusiastic and energized to begin work on a
few Pause projects, so I planned specific days and times to do so.
BUT, each moment I tried to begin, life called with an unexpected
and important item needing my attention, including my trip to
Urgent Care for a possible brown recluse spider bite!

On the second day of what felt like the universe working
against me, suddenly, everything needing urgent care. Taxes,
finances, paperwork, home repairs, etc. In my frustration, I chose
to give in and let go of my plans. Occasionally, aware of a few
moments of downtime, I paused. In these pauses, I opened my
laptop to see if I could squeeze in some time on the plans I had
decided to let go of, and behold, Inspiration flowed. The pressure
of time was out of my mind. Creative expression was released.
I completed a few tasks and small projects, and it all came very
easily.

What I might normally have spent days on, in planned time, due to
having time for doing and redoing, analyzing, doubting, and
overthinking, only took a few hours! My mind was focused;
I experienced super clarity, all because I was open to
letting go of my plans.
IN A PAUSE UNPLANNED ~

I WAS WILLING TO RECEIVE MY INNER INSPIRATION ~

JOYFUL, EFFICIENT, and PRACTICAL.

I WAS STILL ABLE TO CARE FOR THE URGENT STUFF!

---

---

How to Receive Love

Sharing by Mary Lenihan

So many of us seem to be running on empty these days. Do you
resonate? I am learning to ask myself, “Is this how I am being guided
to live my life?

I pause. I had been attempting to be giving, caring, and serving in
hopes of bringing joy, peace, and healing to people only to end up
burnt to a crisp!
Where did I go astray?
I was operating from my ego “good intentions mindset”.
My father was Irish and there’s a wise Irish saying,

THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH
GOOD INTENTIONS!

THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO PROCEED

HOW TO PROCEED?

It is only when I truly Pause to RECEIVE LOVE, and LET LOVE
LOVE ME, and ALLOW LOVE to MOVE THROUGH ME, that
I AM LOVING MYSELF, and I AM LOVING OTHERS.

As I RECEIVE LOVE, I CAN NOW GIVE LOVE.
Exhaustion and judgements can be replaced WITH
ENTHUSIASM and HOPE.
LIFE CAN BECOME MORE MEANINGFUL.

I sat on the couch for my daily quiet time.

The Peace in my mind was shrouded by chaos, while also thinking,
“What can I do next?” Ordering myself to stay “productive”!
My self efforted to
make Peace of mind happen.
Nothing happened.

Then I heard in my mind,
“Mary, STOP. Just let LOVE, love you.”

Though I have had many wondrous healing experiences of LOVE’s
presence,
I had not realized how essential it was to
practice
letting LOVE love me.

So, I pause.
I pause to receive This LOVE.
I pause to let This LOVE, love me.
The result?
Peace the world cannot give consumes me.
Peace no amount of self-effort can make happen.
Peace no worldly success and approval can render.
Peace opens me as I am willing to receive This Unwavering LOVE.
I am rested as I Let LOVE, love me.

As I am willing to receive This LOVE,
I am willing to give This LOVE.

---

---

Solutions for Healing

uncomplicated

Sharing by Mary

In the morning and evening, I give time and space for an extended
Pause. This way, I begin my day with a sense of stability and end my day
with a soft landing.

Midweek, I noticed that my mental well-being was not well. So, I
paused to ask for help and receive help from my Inner Wisdom. In my
pausing, I recognized three things:

1) Specific inner guidance came into my mind that truly caught me
off guard. I immediately knew it was the solution to a problem. I was so
excited and relieved and filled with JOY. Yet, though I had asked for help
and received it, I hesitated in my following because I was still considering
options that my cubicle mind was putting forth. What this did was weaken
and distract me from following the Wise solution I had received.

Solution: It’s not too late. I can still follow the Wisdom given and
receive HELP.

---

2) I saw in my mind that as long as I keep focusing on myself, I will
be miserable. Yes, me, myself, and me again being my main focus always
brings dispiritedness. The cubicle mind, or me-character, wants to keep me
focused on my cubicle self, life, feelings, aches, pains, suffering, problems,
body – get the picture? Everything is me, me, me, me, me, along with a
refusal to pause for Inner Wisdom and follow the solution in that pause.

Solution: “I am so sick and tired of this me-character disturbing my
peace of mind, that’s it! I hand myself over to PEACE of MIND.” I
felt my whole being let go. A great burden was lifted off my
shoulders as I shifted my focus from myself and towards
PEACE of MIND ~ Something More than me!

RX: Repeat as needed for HEALING.

---

3) I was shown that, yes, as a human being, I make mistakes. I kept
pulling myself down instead of following my inner voice telling me to look
at how I was seeing myself in this situation that upset me. I realized that I
saw myself as unworthy of anything better.

Solution: As I ask for help, my Inner Wisdom assures me that I am
not a bad person for making mistakes. I gain insight into why I said
what I said and did what I did. But I don’t stop there. I have
discovered that insight in and of itself does not bring full healing. I
am called to forgive myself, forgive another, and receive
forgiveness.

Now, I have HOPE because
My Inner Wisdom is waiting for me to ask for and receive help ~
always and all ways ~
in the Pause ~

Pause for One Another

Sharing by Mary

Lately it feels like we are living in the Land of Oz. Visions of
wicked witches, good witches, flying monkeys, munchkins, and a
Wizard hiding behind a wavering curtain pretending to be the ruler of
OZ. Some mornings, even after caffeine, I can embody any one of
these folks.

The world is spinning off into a tornado and we have the
entire cast of characters lost in a world of their own making.
Dorothy, dreaming she has forgotten who she is and is trying to find
her way home, the Scarecrow without a brain and a body constantly
falling apart, the Lion pretending to be fierce while looking for
courage, the Tin Man unaware of his sensitivity is seeking a heart, and
Toto too thinking about life in a more helpful direction.

Where are those ruby slippers when you need them?

Toto may be the sanest one of the bunch as he pulls the
curtain aside revealing that the Wizard is not a Wizard after all. Once
the Wizard tells the truth about his disguise, his mask falls away. Only
then does he Pause for Dorothy and the gang which opens his heart
and mind to see he has plenty to give all of them and receives plenty
in return.

We turn on the news to witness yet another sequel of the
Land of OZ. Didn’t I watch this exact news yesterday? Yes, I am
watching too much news. How about you?

What is one solution to the ongoing turmoil keeping our
minds spinning and hearts sinking?

Pause for One Another

“As I bless another,
I bless myself.”

It Was In Me All Along

Sharing by Mary

My father shared his Words of Wisdom with me throughout my life.

He was a man of few words, and maybe that is why when he spoke, I
listened. I knew they were Words of Wisdom because they led me to pause and
shift my way of seeing and thinking about life in a more helpful direction.

Whether raking leaves together as a little girl, doing the dishes, or on a road
trip, we seemed to both enjoy the same vibe. Visiting with him in his older
years, we did as we often did, simply being together in quiet.

From within the silence, he uttered the words,
“It was in me all along.”

Those words definitely landed.

Wisdom breaks through when I give my consent.

As I am aware of Inner Wisdom, and truly allow myself to receive, I experience
an inner shift in how I see myself, others, and relationships. It’s not a sacrifice
to let go of my way in favor of receiving a Wiser Way.

The challenge is letting Wisdom truly make a difference in my day-to-day life.

If I don’t apply the Wisdom I have received, if I go on about my day as if I don’t
know any better, I can feel like I have one foot in one world and one foot in
another. This becomes a brewing conflict, an inner divide that deepens over
time as I choose not to follow Wisdom.

I lose my inner peace, which then leads to losing outer peace.

For example, you haven’t heard from me in a while because I…

…chose to take a part-time sabbatical to rest. My Inner Wisdom has been urging
me for at least five years to take a break from work, but I kept ignoring it. I
relied upon a long list of excuses as to why I couldn’t possibly stop working. All
of these excuses were fear-based thoughts that cause exhaustion! My ego
barked at me that if I took a break, Pause for Inspiration (the nonprofit) would
fall apart. This is highly unlikely, as I have reliable people I can call upon for
backup. Thank you, Natalie, and John.

The Bottom Line

No one else can force me to follow the Wisdom I receive.
The choice is always mine.
Might I have some trepidation?
Yes, much of the time!
Will I regret it? Never.

In the midst of everyday life

Download the free “Pause For Inspiration”
mobile app in your app store!

Over The Rainbow
be uplifted

Sharing by Mary

Your Inspired Mind knows what you are experiencing in
your daily life and wants to lift you up! You can open to the
Wisdom, Inspiration, and Peace within. All you have to do is
Pause.
Now, Receive.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be a co-founder of a
nonprofit educational organization, which began because, in my
stress, strife, and lack of purpose in this world, I was willing to Pause
and Receive my Higher Mind. This Bigger Mind, not our ego me-
character, showed me the way of true vision ~ how to perceive,
think, communicate, act, be still, and enter into silence. This Inner
Present LOVE taught me that we have the potential to “Be a Living
Expression of Inspiration in the world.” Help comes to each of us in
various ways: our wise thoughts, an inner awareness of Peace, a heart
space, perhaps awareness of a bodily sensation or way of moving, and
even through another person or an
unexpected encounter.

Your Helpful Self awaits you! Pause in 2026.

We here at Pause are immensely grateful for all the
ways Pause was shared & practiced in 2025.

BJC Healthcare ~ Raising St. Louis Mom’s Group

Kids & Teens Summer Camp

St. Louis University Nursing Professor Invites
Pause to share with Nursing Students

LifeBridge Partnership

ArchWell Health

Tornado Recovery with Shaka

Forest Park Community College Scholars

Youth Empowerment Rally

College Church Retreat

Shared PAUSE with:

Namaste Village in Mexico

Saprea, supporting women survivors of childhood abuse

Neighborhood Healing Network ~ National Crime Victims

Rosé Day Festival ~ Empowering Women and Girls

Better Family Life Resource Tailgate

Bridge the Gap ~ Juneteenth

My Life In a Bag ~ Children in Foster Care and Group Homes

Grateful for Natalie & Myron

Eileen Teaches Pause with Sound Bowls,
Rainsticks!

Natalie Shooting Hoops ~ Mary On The Trail

A Truly JOYFUL, HEALING, and DEEPLY
PEACEFUL 2026 to us all.