“The right word may be effective, 
but no word was ever as effective 
as a rightly timed pause.” 
~ Mark Twain

There are many life lessons I wish I had learned earlier in my life. This is one of them: the value of the pause. I don’t know if it’s human nature or just a personality quirk, but all too often in my life I responded to challenging situations with a knee-jerk reaction. Somewhere along my life journey, I realized that such a response is most often less than effective.  

Life is full of pauses, though many of us overlook them on a regular basis. When driving, a red light is an indication to stop. It is also an invitation to pause. There is a difference. We can stop with impatient anticipation of the light turning green, or we can take advantage of that brief pause to look around and to be consciously aware of all that is around us.

When we arrive at a doctor or dentist office for an appointment, most often we are cordially invited to sit and wait until the medical professional is ready to see us. This period of waiting can be characterized by boredom or frustration, or we can savor the opportunity to pause in our day, grateful that absolutely nothing else is expected of us at that moment.

For those of us who find ourselves grocery shopping in the late afternoon or early evening, we are most often confronted with inconvenience of standing in line while other customers check out ahead of us. Again, we can experience this pause as an interruption to our day, or we can consciously take advantage of the opportunity to pause, to look around, to be aware of and grateful for those who work at the store, and for the availability of the food in our basket. 

This morning, Kathy and I were listening to a podcast of a guided meditation. The facilitator invited us focus on our breathing. I’ve done this many times. In fact, I’ve led others in a similar meditation on retreats and in classes I’ve taught. This morning’s presenter, however, added a little twist I had never considered. After urging us to focus on breathing in and breathing out, she challenged us to focus on the pause between breaths. Despite the many experiences I’ve had of similar meditative activities, I had never considered focusing on the pause. It was a powerful moment for me, one which caused me to reflect on the countless other opportunities I have each day to pause.

Whether in our speech or actions, practicing the pause has tremendous value in how we live our lives and how effectively we relate to others. I invite you to reflect on the opportunities to pause in your life, and encourage you to be conscious of these moments. In doing so, these brief periods of time can become sacramental moments for you.