“The longer I waited, the more connected I became to what my soul really wanted.”

— Cheryl Richardson

There is endless literature on the benefits of a quiet practice online, in print, in media. Yet if I were to ask 10, 100, or even 500 people if they practice, I'd say about 90% of them would offer a range of responses that would include, "I have no time", "it's not for me", "I don't see the point", "I don't know how", "I can't find the right technique for me", etc.

What this validates is the fact that just because something is scientifically proven to be "good" for us, it isn't necessarily enough to inspire us to act.

We have good intentions to start a quiet practice but taking the leap is a whole other story because it’s about embracing the process.

We live in a results-oriented culture.

Not only that, we want results right now.

Or actually, we wanted them yesterday.

To take our eyes off the result and plant ourselves in the process, just feels weird… and often scary because we don’t really know what’s going to happen next.

Letting go of control feels like a tall order.

So we put off starting a quiet practice until something gently nudges us to take a look at it again.

So what would motivate us to stop everything we're doing, sit down, close our eyes and be quiet?

What exactly would "doing nothing" accomplish?

A lot.

Let me explain.

Making a choice to pause in our day, even if only once a day, is in fact a huge accomplishment in a culture that is always moving and doing.

By pausing, we exercise our right to choose.

We allow our free will to stand up for us.

We connect to the core of who we are and live from there.

That is the muscle we develop.

By choosing to pause in life, we choose to get off the conveyor belt of our thoughts of “should’s” and “have-to’s” so we can see our lives from a different perspective.

A broader perspective that takes in all sides...especially our side.

Each time we pause and settle ourselves in the moment, we can reflect, take stock of the possible impact of our choices on ourselves and others...so we can make better choices.

Why does this matter?

Our lives are coloured by the ACCUMULATION of the myriad choices we make every moment of every day.

That includes big decisions related to our careers or relationships to the little decisions we make about what to eat or what beliefs to live by.

Here's the thing...

The simple act of pausing to sit in quiet IS the reward.

It may not the seem that way at first because we’re so conditioned to see results right now.

But every day you practice has an exponential effect on your life.

The next day builds on the day before…and it builds momentum.

Better choices breeds even better choices…every day.

Over time, you start to see the evidence.

Pausing has a ripple effect that impacts every part of our lives - our health, our mindset, our relationships, our work and including our impact on the planet.

The ripple goes far and wide.

The results do come but more as a trickle…

It’s the difference between living in the pain of instant gratification and the joy of delayed gratification.

So it’s more than okay to press the pause button.

Taking a moment to pause is not nothing.

It's everything.