Hit the Pause Button

Eknath Easwaran inspires us again with his words of wisdom in Words to Live By:
"Somehow in our modern civilization, we have acquired the idea that the mind is working best when it runs at top speed. Yet a racing mind lacks time even to finish a thought, let alone to check its quality. When we slow down the mind, we work better at everything we do. Not only is the quality of our work better; we are actually able to get more done. A calm, smooth-running flow of thought saves a lot of wear and tear on the nervous system, which means we have more vitality and resilience in the face of stress."

Powerful Questions:

Reflect on how often you Hit the Pause Button for renewal and clarity in your day/week/month/year/life.
What score would you give this 0-10?

What influences you to think that fast thinking and pressing to get things done in a hurry is the optimal way? How are you kidding yourself or self-sabotaging the quality of your work…And more importantly, the quality of your life?

After years of coaching and study with master teachers about what it takes to truly create a “wake up inspired” successful life, I have come to believe that the first critical step is to Hit the Pause Button. (There’s much more devoted to this in my book). The next time you chastise yourself for "wasting time" staring out the window-- think again and embrace the value of slowing down your mind in our frenetic world.

In this moment, try this with me. Just hit the pause button for a couple minutes. Breathe. Reflect on what’s important to you. Allow some clarity to come in about what is the next best investment of your precious energy. This could be for your life or simply the rest of your day. Both are relevant paths toward waking up inspired. Of course, the bigger the depth of your pauses, the bigger chance you have at real joy.

An enticing professional opportunity came in today. I must hit the pause button to consider what I am truly called to and tune in to discern soul vs. ego seduction. I wish I could tell you it's instantly clear. It's not. That alone tells me I need to slow down and find that place where my mind is sound and aligned with the divine love that always leads us to our True Choices. np.s. Please don't read this and then just resume speed. How can you set yourself up to enjoy inspired success by making Hit the Pause Button a habit? nnn