5-Day Retreat Series

Day 1: The Opportunity to Press Pause

I don't know about you, but my days are filled. From the moment I wake up until I fall asleep, my mind is spinning and my body is trying to catch up. Recently, a series of events in my life caused me to evaluate my surroundings. Was it completely necessary to spin? How could I stop my mind from spinning and bring things to the center? As a woman who is an advocate for others to carve out time, space, and energy to reflect, renew, and retreat on a daily, weekly, quarterly and annual basis, I found myself challenged. My environment definitely spoke to me. 

One afternoon, I was working on an itinerary for a client and I had my peaceful music in the background. To my amusement, or should I say, the lack thereof, my music was stopping or pausing midway through a song. I tried to restart it. Again and again, nothing was working. And then, something beautiful occurred to me: there was opportunity in the pause. And furthermore, I was given the 

opportunity to press pause. 

And so I did. 

I breathed in and out.

One moment at a time.

I pressed pause and opened up the door to retreat.

Right there. In the center of my living room. A pause.

No noise. No list. No agenda. 

Only peace.

I allowed myself to stay there for the next 5-10 minutes. And when I returned to my task, I was calmer. The spinning had stopped and I moved forward. I discovered that in the pause, I was allowing myself space to retreat. And so now, daily, I carve out the opportunity to press pause and retreat. I encourage you to do the same.

How do you press pause and retreat on a daily basis?