Mary Shares

“Trust what is unseen in this moment and you will someday rejoice
in what you see.” Pause Golden Book p. 21

What do you tend to choose? Left to my own devices I tend to choose
doing over resting. When I received Pause For Inspiration in 2009, I knew Pause
was my Inner Knowing teaching me that:

It is not only okay to rest, rest is essential.
It is essential to Pause for Rest.
Resting in the pause can be short, long, quick, or sustained.
Pausing of one’s mind and/or body gives space for creating.

Creating is the practice of trusting what is unseen and unheard and
following its movements even though I don’t know where they may lead.

This moment is an opportunity to wait for the unseen, the unheard, to be revealed. Even while
going about one’s daily life.

How can we trust that which is unseen and unheard?
Why trust such things?
It is my experience that as I am willing to PRACTICE PAUSING for Inspiration, Inner
Wisdom, and Peace of Mind, I build trust in these because they prove to be
invaluable and even practical. Everyday life is more meaningful.
Peace of mind becomes my purpose.

Certainty is what I find in The Pause.

In a pause, I may hear words of Wisdom that I know I can trust. Wisdom enters through
my thoughts and in my own voice. It is not separate from who I am; not “other”. I see in
my mind how to proceed, how to go about a task, or what direction to move in, or not. I
may not want to accept my Inner Wisdom initially because it is often such a
turnaround from my habitual way of perceiving, but even so, I trust the Wisdom
because the
sound of it rings true.

The SOUND of Certainty is distinct.
Whereas the ego is trying to sound wise, if I step back and listen
closely, it won’t be long before I notice I am being pulled into
ways of perceiving, thinking, talking, and doing that are unwise.
The cubicle heart÷mind is quite the trickster.

In a pause, one can hear sounds never heard before.
In graduate school studying for a Neuroscience exam, I decided to pause for
rest. I began hearing the sound of a complete symphony being created in my
mind moment by moment.
I was hearing fantastic sounds I never heard before.
I felt I was hearing the sound of creation creating.

Today I was telling myself that I had NO INSPIRATION to write and share with you.
I decided to practice what I share and so I practiced Pause For LOVE.
Look what showed up!

What’s the point?

When one is willing to Pause For Love, one may see the unseen
and hear the unheard and learn to trust that what is being shared
is WORTH RECEIVING and PUTTING TO USE.
EXPERIENCE A TRUE INNER REST while being
truly productive versus busyness as a disguise for meaning.

What is the Pause For LOVE Practice?

P.S.

While I was practicing Pause For LOVE,
I heard the words of Inner Present LOVE in my mind,

“There’s never been a time that I didn’t love you.”

Families Pausing Creating Harmony

Something Spectacular Happened

In an instant, my entire perspective on life shifted as I saw how little and unimportant my own ego concerns are.
One annoying personal illusion after another was lifted and didn’t matter anymore.

Absolute Harmony did!

Sharing by Mary

. . . that is what happened as The Pause Crew mingled, conversed, smiled, laughed, hugged, listened, and shared PAUSE with

INCREDIBLY RECEPTIVE parents, teachers, young adults, teens, and children
participating in the Better Family Life Back-to-School event.

SOMETHING TRULY REAL and WONDERFUL occurred.

INSPIRED HEART~MINDS created an
atmosphere of PURE LOVE.

. . . so much more than giving away free materials.

PEOPLE TRULY WANTED TO KNOW

“What is Pause?”

“What is it for?”

“Can it help my stress?”

“Can it help my child?”

“So how does it work?”

OPENING TO PAUSE and SEEING
ITS VALUE IN EVERYDAY LIFE

“I am a teacher and can share this with my students.”

“Oh, I love Pause. I ran out of cards so I need more.”

“This is exactly what I am looking for as my son has ADHD and they just put him on medicine and there has to be a better solution.”

“I was in your Pause class at St. Louis Job Corps! I lost my Pause book and need another! I love it!”

DOWNLOAD FREE PAUSE GOLDEN BOOK

This woman brought several teen girls to our booth to share PAUSE with them because of how it has helped her for years.

Families Are Flowing With PAUSE

PAUSE GIFTED EVERYTHING WE BROUGHT WITH US!

~ 240 Pause Golden Books
~ 425 Kids Can Pause and Parents Too! Books
~ 14,000 Pause Practice Cards

. . . and even more than all that, This LOVE THAT TRULY LOVES NO MATTER WHAT, was given and received

Thank you Pause Crew ~

Lisa, Natalie, and John for who you are, all the ways you serve, and your willingness to Practice The Pause as the best way of sharing it with others!

Huge thanks to Myron who truly was in one continual
pause the whole day keeping the table stocked
and the flow flowing . . .

Sharing by Mary

1 : 1

What I LOVE most about PAUSE is ONE of the central messages of Pause ~

Willingness to practice being present ONE-to-ONE, face-to-face, in person in
the midst of living our everyday ordinary lives.

Opening to experiencing the Extraordinary in the ordinary.

Passersby, fleeting encounters, and those with whom we linger can be spaces to
recognize our connectedness. We can pause from our screens and become aware
of the fellow travelers with whom we are sharing this earth.

We can CONNECT with the earth too!

Pausing 1:1 helps me to RECOGNIZE our CONNECTEDNESS that really matters while
engaging in daily routines that don’t seem to matter much.

IN AN INSTANT one can experience:
>Who I am truly vs. who I think I should be
> Why I am here vs. “What am I doing on this earth?”
> The life-changing power of BEING PRESENT WITH PRESENCE
> A sense of purpose right here, right now vs.
waiting for one’s purpose to show up in the future
when this happens or that happens . . .

Robotic habitual thoughts and motions managing the status quo woe
TENSE the mind and body hindering us from being present with one another.

I cannot be present with you if I am too tense to be present with myself!

R E L A X

Pause One-to-One

Step Back from what I think I see

Step Aside asking my True Self “Show me how to see.”

Follow my True Self into the Extraordinary

wherever I am

whatever I am doing

whomever I am with.

I was moved to give a Pause For LOVE practice card to the young man
cashiering. Looking over the card he raised his eyes and responded,

“Thanks for noticing me.” We saw one another.

IMAGINE seemingly meaningless moments that we are often trying to get through
and be done with becoming opportunities to heal the sense of disconnectedness
we sometimes experience in an ordinary day.

Your Inner Peace Will Guide You 1:1

Pause doesn’t tell people what to think, believe, say, or do or how to walk, talk, dress, or shake hands. Your True Self will direct you in how to connect in Truly Helpful ways.

TRUST & ENJOY YOUR TRUE SELF

CLICK ON CARDS to >>>>>
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WHAT DO YOU GOT TO LOSE?

Photo by Mary

What are you experiencing now? Would you say that you are receiving
what you are experiencing, pushing it away, or perhaps pretending it’s not
happening? I am learning that if I am quick to assess what I think an inner
experience is conveying, I can miss out on the truly helpful guidance that is being given.

Right now, as I pause my mind, I am aware of an inner
sensation, a deep pulling even yearning of some kind. Have you ever
observed a similar experience within you? An inner motion beckoning you? What
did you do, or not do? Something is rising to the surface to be known but what?
(and no it’s not what you ate for lunch!)

The experience itself is not urging me to try and figure it out,
analyze it, or inquire about some inner mysterious message.
All that effort could thwart the unfolding, or
at least my awareness of what is unfolding.
Rather, I am guided to wait.
To simply be with that which is.
No effort.

This isn’t so easy because a part of me wants to know the meaning
of this experience now. The who, what, where, and when. I want to DO
something about it. The cubicle mind wants to start planning, to
take outer action. Yet, I am drawn to be with the inner action.

I am aware that I am to continue pausing.

A deep flame is holding an inner vigil.
Inner Wisdom guides me to simply be with
my inner experience. And so, I am.

Experiences such as these are incredible
gifts not to be ignored
or brushed aside, nor are they
forced upon you.

Nuggets of Wisdom will be revealed to you
that speak directly to your
daily life experiences and quandaries ~ in
your willingness to
Pause and Be With Your Inner Experience

CLICK ON CARD TO ENLARGE

Pause for an Unexpected Bridge

Sharing by Mary ~

July 16th is my birthday ~ Here is my Gift to you

My True Self showed up in a dream the other night and led me on a wild ride. The dream’s colors were immaculately
vibrant and organized with True Perfection rhythmically splattered yet eternally coherent. Not the ego’s version of perfection.

Walking through the forest of colors I noticed an unusually shaped being ahead of me. It stood out even among the colors.
Somehow it was without color though quite distinct. What drew my attention was that this being clearly knew the way to Peace.
As I focused and followed, our pace grew faster and I feared losing my footing and falling into the abyss below. But I inherently
knew and trusted the being ahead so I kept following. I wanted to follow. I wanted to follow because I knew that being was my
True Self beckoning me to follow. I had not an ounce of doubt.

We were on a wild ride now and I was astonished as I looked down only to see that with each step I took, as I put my foot out ‘
in front of me there was no bridge over the abyss below, but one wooden slat appeared beneath me. A bridge was literally
being created slat by slat with every step I took just in time to catch me and provide footing. Yet, I couldn’t see a bridge
ahead of me. As I trusted my True Self, I could only see my True Self and we were on an exhilarating, colorful ride
~ no worry, no fear ~ total freedom.

When I awoke, the message from my True Self was clear:
I can give up worrying.
As I am willing to pause and focus on my True Self,
I can trust that as I step forward one step at a time
I am being provided for.
I need not know the way,
the Way Knows.

CLICK CARD TO ENLARGE

How to Know Who You Are

Worrying or overthinking or controlling is a mirage that keeps me bound to my false self not to mention exhaustion and missing out on living who I am in everyday life! Worry is a retaliation against the fear that I myself made. Trying to manage fear!

Your True Self is a bridge created by LOVE.

LOVE IS the absolute assurance that you have a True Self. Your True Self is the absolute assurance of LOVE.

I am willing to replace the practice of worry in the moment with

Pausing for my True Self which is always

Truly Helpful ~

wherever I am,
whatever I am doing,
and
whomever I am with.
(enjoy the ride)

CLICK HERE To Access Your True Self

A Guided Audio Practice

Happy 4th of July!

Pause Eyes Open experience your Self~Worth

Sharing by Mary

You know if we keep listening to and watching the daily news, we could be duped into believing that this life is hopeless,
and why bother Pausing For Inspiration? Who cares about Inspiration, Inner Wisdom, and All~Encompassing LOVE?
Where are they? What are they? I see very little evidence of their existence on the world stage. How am I ever supposed to
experience my True Self much less your True Self with all these little false selves running around causing such a raucous?

Well, it takes two to tango baby, and don’t think those false selves aren’t pairing up
behind the curtain looking for various parts to play on the world stage.

HOW DOES THE ME-CHARACTER ACT OUT IN YOUR
COMMUNICATIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, and LIFE SITUATIONS
blocking LOVE and Self~Worth from your awareness?
Remember, the me-character (false self) is an expert make-up artist
and makes up a lot of faces to hide pain, fear, and shame. It is crying out not for our
judgment and shame, rather the false self is a call for LOVE.

HOW TO LOVE
The me-character, being that it is the thought and experience of being separate from LOVE, isn’t aware of LOVE,
so it doesn’t know how to love. Though we turn to it again and again for guidance on how to love only
to become bewildered about love again and again.

You may ask, “What is LOVE anyway?”
You CAN Practice The Pause Eyes Open
wherever you are
whatever you are doing
whomever you are with
and experience LOVE firsthand
Most of our experiences of feeling unloved and being unloving occur while
we are going about our ordinary day. Eyes open!

Pause for Your True Self throughout the course of any ordinary day.
You may be amazed how Practicing The Pause
shines light in the darkness.

Here are REAL experiences I had of LIGHT shining away the darkness:

The cashier didn’t acknowledge my existence. No “Hello, how are you today?” At first, I was perturbed by
the poor customer service these days. Then I used Pause and asked, “Is there Another Way to see this?”
As she handed me my receipt, I looked her in the eyes, smiled, and said, “You have a good day.” Her eyes
lit up and a big, beautiful smile smiled right back at me. We are one another’s customers!

I was in a funk while running errands when a woman paused and looked at me and gave me a kind smile.
Her willingness to express love opened my heart. I smiled back and my funk fell away.

I was feeling forgotten and excluded by some people. I paused for Inner Wisdom and instead of waiting for
them to reach out, I received the Wisdom to reach out to them. They were very happy to hear from me and
invited me to an upcoming gathering. I had loads of fun!

Thinking about someone struggling with an addiction, at first, my mind went to shaming, and then I got out of
my own way and listened Within beyond my shame. I heard that this person doesn’t need more shame any
more than I need more shame. Shame is the root of our addictions and the unworthiness that drives our
disparaging assessment of ourselves and others and our unwise
decisions, words, and behaviors. I paused and expressed compassion for this person.

we feel unworthy of accepting the TRUTH that we are the
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
no matter what

What’s In The Pause?
YOU. Your True Worthy Self.
Have you been looking for Self~Worth?

HOPE AGAIN
We don’t have to sit down, close our eyes, and take loads of time to Practice The Pause.
We can use Pause this way as a “Quieting Practice” however.
We can also
EXPERIMENT with
PRACTICING PAUSE EYES OPEN
on the spot
in the moment
here and now
pause your mind
anywhere, anytime.

WATCH WHAT YOU SEE

DOWNLOAD FREE MOBILE APP ~ SEARCH IN APP STORE FOR “PAUSE FOR INSPIRATION” ~ Experience Self~Worth!

How Can I Truly Love Myself and Love Others?

Sharing by Mary

This morning I saw a horrific story on the news.
The hate literally brought me to my knees.
Feeling the weight of hate, fear, evil, and injustice
my heart turned to LOVE.

Trusting LOVE is a Practice.

LOVE SPEAKS ~
Receiving LOVE and Letting LOVE love you

If you hate someone or some situation,
give Me your hate thoughts for they are illusions.
I do not need your illusions for they are nothing to Me,
but they are everything to you.
In giving them over to LOVE you will experience
This LOVE
that is Everything.
Have mercy on those you hate and fear
because in your mercy you will see their predicament
and yours as well; hating and fearing.
Give mercy and LOVE will show mercy on you.
The transition from fear to PEACE can be rough
as the ego-self is sure to resist.
The ego feels alone and afraid, yet who is this self but some
made-up defense against LOVE ~ a defense clothed in shame in need of
your mercy, not your fear, not your wrath.
You are not alone, but you think you are,
and that is your greatest fear.
Pause for LOVE my dear for LOVE is always with you.
An Unceasing, Unwavering LOVE that
does not require your understanding or belief.
Receive This LOVE, my friend.
Pause, breathe, and
Let This LOVE love you ~ now.
This LOVE relies on your willingness to Receive its LOVE.
Only then is This LOVE all LOVE is meant to be.
Only then does this life have meaning.
Let This LOVE be your sustenance
so you can stop scrounging through that which is not worthy of you.
Let This LOVE love you, so you can now love.
Not as the world “loves” but as LOVE loves.
It’s not only possible, it is the only way to Truly Love.
. . . and yet still, This LOVE is not a mere thought to be analyzed,
discussed, and studied. This LOVE is a Practice.
So, Practice The Pause!

As I Truly Receive LOVE and Truly Let LOVE love me,
I am Truly Loving Others
and Loving Myself.

It’s a Practice ~ And Here It Is > > >

Photo by Mary. Chihuly at Missouri Botanical Gardens

Sharing by Mary

ON THE INSIDE OF LOVE. I have experienced the Presence of an All-Encompassing LOVE in my life, but today rather than simply being aware of LOVE’s presence within me or in the atmosphere, I experienced being ON THE INSIDE OF LOVE. These words were literally spoken in my mind during the experience. No absence of LOVE. No separation from LOVE. No exclusions. Only comfort and abiding PEACE.

Today someone reached out asking for help. This person was struggling with pain in their body and was upset over increasing body stuff. Before agreeing to see this person asap as requested, I paused. I received the go-ahead from Inner Wisdom with a direct and strong reminder to Practice The Pause during our time together. That I did.

Throughout our connecting, I consistently paused and stepped back from thinking I knew what to think, say, and do. In my mind, I quietly spoke words to open my awareness to Inspiration’s presence and moment-by-moment guidance. Saying, “Come Inspiration. I am willing to be Led. We open our hearts and minds to receiving healing. I give my heart, mind, hands, and voice to LOVE. Thank you. Peace be with you.” At one point, the person spoke through the silence, “I am so grateful.”

At some point, I felt as if we became instruments ON THE INSIDE OF LOVE. A song was creating and playing itself simultaneously. I smiled. I felt at Home, at Peace. . on the inside of LOVE.

Had I not paused for Inspiration’s help we would have both missed out on SOMETHING WONDERFUL! The person exclaimed afterward, “That was amazing!” I am immensely grateful that we were both willing to receive This LOVE that heals and for following its FLOW.

Have you noticed how ordinary daily life experiences become extraordinary when you Pause, Get Out of Your Own Way, Open to Receiving your Inner Wisdom, and Let Wisdom Guide? Whether you experience inner calm, less reacting, and more Awareness-oriented responding, or get a peek behind the veil out of the shadows and into the light, IT’S ALL GRACE paired with YOUR WILLINGNESS TO RECEIVE. It’s worth a pause.

The ego default mode is
DO NOT LISTEN TO and FOLLOW YOUR INNER KNOWING!!!

Share free Practice Cards?

A relationship in need of Wisdom?

How Is Inner Wisdom Given, Recognized, and Received?

Wisdom guides me through words and inner promptings, inner and outer nudges, and I am even given visual images in my mind which show me exactly how to proceed.

~ always safe, wise, kind, and truly helpful ~

Post Pause at Home & Office

Practice Pause for questions about your health.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Communications, Relationships, Activities, Situations, and
Circumstances are all opportunities in our everyday lives to
Practice The Pause
&
Experience Your Mind With the LIGHT ON . . . PEACE.

Sharing by Mary

I stepped out of
being locked in!

Pause For Your Mind Health?

As one who has experienced challenges with my mental
health – anxiety and depression – I know firsthand what it is.
I imagine many of you may also know what it is. Contrary to
false understanding, mental health issues go deeper than
“having a bad day” and are not resolved by sweeping inner
conflict under the rug. They present themselves in myriad
ways so we may not recognize what’s going on.

In my case, the core of the entire system on which I had based my identity proved to be unreliable. Unreliable because it was based on false ideas about LOVE and who I thought I had to be and what I had
to accomplish in this world to truly be loved by LOVE itself and others.
It was a false identity that bred false expectations of myself and others.

Since childhood, I have always been aware of a Wise Inner Knowing guiding me in everyday life, but it didn’t line up with the way the world seemed to operate. I decided early on to keep this Inner Knowing to myself, hence living with one foot in one world and
one foot in another. Don’t worry, it gets better!

One night about 30 years ago going through an unexpected “life crisis”,
I had a dream in which I was locked in a room, but had given
someone else in my life the key that unlocks the door to get out,
but that person had given someone else the key and that person
was nowhere to be found. Filled with fear that I couldn’t exit the
locked room, I began banging on the wall to knock it down only
to discover it was made of paper mache. I stepped out of being
locked in. My inner Voice of LOVE spoke to me,
“See Mary, you had the key all along.”