Pause

This week I want us to pause. Pause to recognize that it’s been four months since we had normal socialization patterns. Pause to reflect and remember our brothers and sisters of color. Pause to thank those serving our communities in law enforcement, health care, and schools. Pause to breathe and notice something to be grateful for.

Thanks. I needed that pause and think you maybe did too. The power of pause is significant in our lives and provides us with perspective.

This week the world continues to swirl and churn around us and yet many of us push through determined to have things be as normal as they can be. For many of us, the going has been hard. Maybe you lost a job. Maybe a friend has been ill with COVID. Maybe you’re tired of fighting for equality.

Maybe you are sick and tired of not having anything to look forward to. Maybe everything is fine but it all feels weird and funky. Whatever your maybe is – it’s real and we should pause and acknowledge it.

Pause to Recognize Your Feelings

It’s important to pause because then we can see cause and effect in our lives. This week I had another disappointment come my way and later found I was super irritated with the kids. The kids hadn’t done anything – it was my frustration tainting my thought patterns and reactions. It was cause and effect, but without pause, I wouldn’t have recognized it.

When I paused to put the two together, I could then adapt. I put boundaries on how long I could feel frustrated and then determined to change my attitude by the next day. It was nice to wallow a bit and even nicer to move on.

As we discussed a few weeks ago, our feelings will come out sideways if we don’t let them out properly. Pause let’s us identify, claim, and adjust to how we are feeling.

Pause to Recognize How Others are Doing

The other powerful part of the pause is that it allows us to recognize others and how they are doing. This week I see tiredness in my families’ eyes. A tiredness from the everyday wear and tear of the past few months.

My 14-year-old son sat by me at lunch today and said, “I need a vacation.” Without pausing, I would have missed that very quiet signal that he needs a break too. It caused me to ask, “How can I help him process what he’s feeling?”

In our hurry, hustle, and hold on attitudes, we forget to pause, process, and acknowledge all that goes on around us. When we do though, we’re better for it. Those around us are better for it.

Join me this week and build in moments of pause.

Vistage chair, keynote speaker, trainer, and consultant, Sarah Gibson, helps organizations leverage the power of communication, teamwork, and diversity to improve engagement and transform teams.

If you are a CEO or know a CEO who would benefit from a peer advisory group, please contact Sarah at Sarah.Gibson@VistageChair.com. To inquire about her speaking programs, please visit www.sarahjgibson.com.