Living The Pause

A Summer Camp of Wisdom

Shift Your Energy

Sharing by Mary

HAVE YOU EVER FELT NOT UP TO DOING SOMETHING? Feeling
listless, I was not up to teaching this day, yet within minutes of being with these kids
and sharing how WE CAN ALL CHOOSE to PRACTICE THE PAUSE on the spot, in
the moment, anywhere, and any time,
I was immediately rejuvenated.

Practicing The Pause Can Shift Our State of Mind and Physical
Energy, thus Shifting Our Thoughts, Words, Actions, and
OUR WHOLE STATE OF BEING.
Get to know Your Helpful Self to Be Truly Helpful.

Kids Can PAUSE: I choose to
LET MY MIND BE CALM.

Kids Can STEP BACK: I choose
to SLOW DOWN and
BREATHE.

Kids Can STEP ASIDE: I choose to LISTEN TO MY HELPFUL SELF

Kids Can Practice LET MY HELPFUL SELF GUIDE: I Choose to
FOLLOW MY HELPFUL SELF who leads me to be SAFE, CALM, KIND,
and HELPFUL.

Tornado Triggers A Pause

Sharing by Mary

As I sprinted down the stairs and through the dining room, I heard
the windows rattling, and there it was, a sound like a train
roaring across our terrace. For the next week, I was pulled away from
my habitual daily routine. It was a forced PAUSE, a STEPPING BACK from
plans, a STEPPING ASIDE allowing moments to unfold without my figuring so I
could receive Inspiration, and LETTING INSPIRATION GUIDE so I could follow.

The result:

My mind emptied, becoming a clean slate upon which
Complete Peace and Total Joy took up residence.
I had never paused like this before.
Better than a vacation!

The destruction in the neighborhood, with 100-year-old trees
uprooted, while the terrace furniture remained untouched
and unmoved, as if enjoying a solitary picnic, imprinted upon
me the fleeting inconsistency of this world and the uncertain
moments we face every day. Since childhood, I recognized that there
is Something More than this physical plane. Yet, this Something More is fully
present wherever I am, whatever I am doing, and whomever I am with ~
because it is Within!

THE RESET:

– Recognizing the possibility of Something More.

– Practicing the 4 Steps of The Pause to increase awareness of This Something More.

– Receive This Peace that abounds in this awareness.

– Give This Peace to others.

Have you ever stopped? Even for a day, a half day? Not to pursue
nonroutine plans or do something special that you also planned, but to DO
NOTHING, NOTHING YOU PLANNED ANYWAY. Simply be.

Eating breakfast at a local cafe, strolling to the coffee shop next door
to grab an iced espresso,
and hunkering down in my car – rolling the windows down, opening the moon
roof to the sun’s rays –
I Paused like I have never paused before.

Embracing that my mind had gone blank, and
and hoping it would stay that way.

Questions to ponder

~~

– Will I truly receive this gift, letting it influence my daily choices
and routine, or will I toss it aside to return to the status quo woe?

– Will you pause for an hour or two, maybe a day, without a plan
and truly receive the gifts being held out within you?

The 4 Steps of Pause Can Shift The Way You
Live Your Daily Life

I Can Choose Another Way to Live

Sharing by Mary
…it’s not too late

I may tell others they have choices, but I tend to tell myself
that I don’t have choices! I encourage others to listen to their Inner
Wisdom and follow, yet I often listen and hear my Inner Wisdom clearly,
but CHOOSE NOT TO FOLLOW!

The result is I suffer the consequences!

I don’t want you or me to suffer the consequences of
not following that Wisdom in the pause
that is dispensing True & Practical Help for everyday life choices!

Here is how I know that I am NOT listening to and NOT following
my
Inner Wise Voice:

– Rushing

– Holding my breath or shallow breathing

– Irritable, impatient, and ineffective

– Judging others, AND myself

– Multi-tasking

– Body aches & pains

– Trying harder, going faster

– Perceiving myself as not getting enough done

– Depressed, anxious

– Taking care of others at the expense of taking care of myself

– Under the illusion that workaholism is a gift and triumph

– People pleasing ~ and they’re still not pleased

– Anger

– Exhaustion

– Keep Truckin’

Do any of these sound familiar to you?

What are your symptoms?

What is your Inner Wisdom
tugging on you about?

I Am Choosing Another Way!

In choosing to follow my Inner Wisdom moment to moment, I am
experiencing that I am going about daily life all wrong when I don’t follow
my Inner Knowing.

Saturday afternoon I chose to Pause for a nature walk!

Woven Inside

Sharing by Mary

Woven inside is the PEACE that sustains
Woven inside is the JOY, not contained
Woven inside is the LOVE without measure
Woven inside is the INDWELLING treasure

For This, I Pause
I get out of my own way
For This, I Step Aside
letting chatter subside

I ask the Woven Within,
“Is there Another Way to see?”
“What is Truly Helpful now
in my thoughts, words, and deeds?”

Pausing for a quiet listen
opens the way to free
for woven on the inside
is the truest me

Woven. on the inside is the Light
hidden in plain view
Shadows are cast aside
as I follow my Wise Inmost Guide.

Willing,
Mary

Peace for No Reason
Today’s Miraculous Awareness

Sharing by Mary

This has been a week of real connections with those in my midst
splattered with the stark contrast of a lot of lack of peace. How come I
experience connection here, but not there? What was the secret to love
being given and received then but not now?

Lost in the loop of seeking peace outside of myself ~ in this activity, but
not that one, with this person, but not with that person, today, but not
tomorrow ~ what’s going on? If only my peace was not so fleeting. If only
I didn’t seek peace everywhere, but within, and in everyone, but within
my Real Self.

Pausing from my lack of peace, I asked within,
“Why can’t I have Peace for no reason?”
I realized, I can. And not only can I have
Peace for no reason, but that is the only True Peace there IS.

Peace for no reason

Baby is crying
Guards at the gate
People on the streets,
Looking for hate.

I thought I’d seen it all
Season after season
In the rise and the fall
Searching for Peace caused by some reason.

Some lessons I have learned,
Some I am still learning.
Wondering if I’ll ever be free
of this yearning.

This life has taught me a thing or two.
The first is to never stop loving
the many and the few.
And in those moments that I don’t feel loved back.
I can Pause for LOVE within
Not fooled by any sense of lack.

I thought I’d seen it all
Season upon season
In the rise and the fall
Hunting for Peace caused by some reason.

Why can’t I just have Peace for no reason?
How come this longing
Is always for a different season?
The answer came clearly
Silent words spoken within
The Peace you seek is always in your mind
Not a future event in a far away time.

Now I have seen it All
No more waiting on the perfect season
Not wishing on the rise or the fall
Knowing I can choose Peace for no reason.

PAUSE FOR HELP!

It Cannot Be of Our Own Efforts
That We Walk This Path For It Is Not
a Solo Trip.

Guess what? There is a reason we are all here; to
catch one another! Is that an Inspired Plan or what? I am here to catch you.
You are here to catch me – with LOVE being the Net, of course.

So, if you see someone and/or yourself falling into judgment, gossip,
defensiveness, being personally offended, despair – disconnection,
What do you do? What is your part?

Sometimes you say something and sometimes you don’t;
Sometimes you do something and sometimes you don’t.
But whether you say or do anything or not, be Inspired.
PAUSE WITHIN and ask for Help from your
Inspired Self Within.

Direction will be given from your Wise Inner Teacher as to how to
proceed that may or may not involve words and/or actions.

Listen.
Pausing and listening is an action within itself.

Excerpt from Living Health
received by Mary pausing and listening.
copyright 2012

Opening to Love
in the Midst of Grief

Sharing by Natalie

Grief.

Love.

I ask myself, “is there something helpful that lies underneath the veil of grief?” Something deep and meaningful that can help me move through my pain, suffering, and loss.

In my recent experience with grief surrounding family I haven’t seen in a long time, until just this past weekend, I stumbled upon something surprising ~ I had a big giant pool of abundant, pure, childlike love welling up underneath my grief and loss of those relationships. The love was so immense and vast and had seemingly nowhere to go.

As I paused to reflect, I realized that the love I have for them didn’t just stop or go away when they left my life. It remained in my heart alongside the grief I have been experiencing from the loss of their presence. I became aware of how this can happen due to the passing of a loved one or the loss of a treasured relationship that has left due to a grievance or other reason.

This love, not fully expressed, can seem heavy, painful, physically felt in the chest, heart, and body.

In that moment of pain I asked Inner Wisdom, “how do I channel this love that remains after my loved one has gone, so that my love doesn’t get stuck, leaving me feeling ill, bitter, sad, or alone?”

I listened and heard, “Instead of allowing love to remain hidden under the weight of grief or loss, I can choose to allow it to flow through me, outward, no matter what, letting it land right where it is received on the many people in my life who are with me, now.”

Love wants to flow, you know, because that’s Love’s True Nature.

Inner Wisdom has guided me to choose to forgive those who have left me, and if I cannot be forgiven, too, then I can choose to forgive myself and let love, love me in the midst of everyday life.

When I choose to forgive, I mend years of suffering and free myself to experience my True Loving Self who can love again fully, expansively, and purely with those who are ready and willing to receive this love.

Choosing to Pause for Love in this moment right now.

Natalie ❤️

Inner Urge to Create

Do you ever experience a deep inner drive to be creative – to
create? It’s like something is caged inside of you longing to get out, you
can feel it on your fingertips, it’s on the tip of your tongue, yet it remains
elusive.

This afternoon, I chose to pause and ask my True Nature, “How can I
express this inner urge to create?” My mind shuffled through the rolodex
of possibilities. Then, instead, a clarity came and I heard the following
within:

“The ultimate creativity is to LOVE.”

I had intended in this post to share more about the challenges
of loving, yet the more I wrote about that, I felt
a nudge to share this tory about loving instead.
An everyday life story about giving and receiving love;

I am overjoyed when the love I extend LANDS! Checking out at the
grocery store the other day, as I bagged my groceries, I sensed a slight
pull of awareness towards the quiet man scanning the items. As we
finished up bagging together, I was prompted to share some Pause
Practice Cards with him.

Man: Oh my gosh, I really need this. I’m working here because I was laid
off my job. I’ve been working since I was 18 and now I’ve been afraid
wondering what am I going to do.

Mary: Well, that’s a big change.

Man: I am trying to control things, but I know I just need to pause and
trust and let go.

Mary: I do the same thing. I become fearful and start taking charge.

Man: I know we don’t know each other, but why did you give these cards
to me?

Mary: I could tell you were open to receiving.

He held the cards up to his heart. The look on his face was precious.
These brief moments of extending love and the connection with this
man are still with me now.

I could have overlooked him, and to be honest, I was tempted to
because I was not feeling well. The Pause nudged my mind and I
chose to express my True Nature ~ to create, to love.

I am certain that he and I are forever changed because giving and
receiving love joins and in that joining a NEWNESS is created in the
depths of our being and something unloving that we have been clinging to,
falls away. Space is created for more love.

Pause to Contemplate

I do not consider myself a writer much less a poet.
Yet, I am a listener to Inner Present WISDOM.
I take notes on what I hear and share this Inner WISDOM with you.
That’s what I do . . . and your Inner Wisdom that knows LOVE
is nudging you to pause and listen too!

sharing by mary ~ healing the divide

I Pause to contemplate
not knowing what I will find.
I Pause to contemplate
to be released from the bind.

I Step Back to truly see
what stands between you and me.
I Step Back to avoid sinking
into the void of ego thinking.

I Step Aside because I do not know
which way to go.
I Step Aside to receive the LOVE
that is always willing to show.

I let LOVE guide
I choose to Follow in the Pause.
First relinquishing my stride
having suffered seeking worldly applause.

I fear the unknown enemy inside and out,
yet it is not until I move towards that fear
that I cease seeking a way out.
I have relied on my self-made self for too long now
and so a still deeper gaze within
I am willing to allow.

I feel the wind anew
sending a quiet calm up my spine,
and now I see you as
no longer an enemy of mine.

What appeared to be you against me,
and me against you
is now an understanding
I never thought I knew.

While galloping along,
Prancer Asks the Question:

What is required to Pause?

Answer: I have to FIRST ACTUALLY PAUSE BEFORE I EVEN BEGIN THE

4 SIMPLE STEPS of PAUSE!

As it is in the First Pause that the Whole Pause Begins!

A TYPICAL DAY

I am aware that I am rushing because I value hurrying, mistakingly deluding
myself that I am more efficient, getting more done, and somehow a
better person.

I am aware that I am feeling anxious.

I am aware that I am overwhelmed with thoughts
about what I am not getting done.

I am aware that I am MULTITASKING which has proven to be
NO GOOD OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

I am aware that I am thinking about how this would be the perfect time to
choose to use a Pause Practice to

Calm, Clear my mind, and go about my day in a Wiser way.

I am aware that I am choosing not to pause.

AH ~ HA

I am aware that if I want to experience the value of Pausing,
I have to actually Pause. Thinking about Pause, talking about Pause, &/or
using the Practice Card as a bookmark or coaster,
is not actually pausing!

Now, I am laughing as this seems obvious but never before have I
realized that to Practice The Pause, I must first actually pause.

So, I pause to decide whether or not to Practice
The 4 Super Simple Steps of Pause AND I

SUFFER the consequences of not pausing

or

REAP the BENEFITS of actually pausing!