The Art of Pause
Pause for a moment, and take a breath. That’s nice. I’m spilling a few thoughts about the art of pause today. There are so many pauses in life. Sometimes they happen without us ever even realizing it. This pace of life we have in our world seems to press forward, sometimes with no notice of pause. I think, though, the pauses are there if we can pause just a moment to realize.
Let’s start with traffic. Have you ever stopped at a stop sign or traffic light with only a forward thought about when it will be your turn to go again? You know what? That stop in traffic could be a delightful moment for you to pause. The cars and people continue to move, right before your eyes, while you wait for your turn to go again. Did the universe just give you a gift? You’ll get to move forward again before you know it. Why not notice the pause and take a breath? Is the radio on?
As a musician, music is sometimes about pausing instead of making tones come out of the box of wood, or stream of brass piping. If the music was incessant, without pause, a musical idea might go unnoticed. The timpani player might have twenty-five bars to rest, but it allows her to pause and be ready for her next moment of contribution to the orchestra. I wonder if I took twenty-five measures to rest I would make a more profound contribution to the whole? Hmmm.
When I’m writing, I get in the zone and the words just spill out onto the paper without a second thought. Then I finish my thought, and there’s a pause in the flow of words. It gives me a moment to pause and think, to notice and shift from one idea to the next. What if there were no pauses? How would writing be different?
There now. Pause. Take a breath. Isn’t that nice? I’m grateful for the pauses that are built into everyday life. Now that I’m enjoying a pace of life that is a little slower when pauses happen, I see great value. Oh, to have had the presence of mind to have that when life was faster. Savor the goodness of pause. Notice it and recognize this is your moment to breathe. Let’s be artistic in our pauses. Let me hear about your pauses…