“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Are you needing inspiration? I would say that, more than occasionally, we need to be inspired. From the moment we awaken to a new day, we are in want of inspiration. If we are not, then what are we doing?
We, mostly, begin the day with good intentions. Hopefully, we have a morning routine—we journal, we set goals, we plan, etc. But, with the fast pace of our society and the barrage of distractions, we can easily lose track of our direction and purpose and get caught in the current of the day. The next thing we know we have been swept down stream, unsure what we have really accomplished.
We might try to keep our motivation level high with strategically placed quotes and the like, but often we are moving too fast to notice. We get so energized to make an impact and to succeed that we get the engines revved up, and we are full-throttle the rest of the day.
Whether you are one who is swept up in the current or one who goes pedal-to-the metal (saving the mixed metaphors here!), you are missing opportunities, if you don’t slow it down a bit and experience what might be going on around you.
One of the greatest challenges I face in my pursuit of well-centered fitness is making time for a productive pause, midday. I can easily be caught up in unproductive distractions—Facebook, e-mail, etc.—i.e., I can get sucked into the current. I need to hit a “pause” button and refocus.
The idea of a productive pause is nothing new. I first heard the phrase from Jim Harshaw (“Success Through Failure” podcast) and have seen similar ideas presented elsewhere. For many of us, we might have a more natural inclination to hit the pause button when we get to moving too fast. Others of us might just keep charging forward.
There are numerous reasons why one might want—or need—to take a regular cycle of pause during the day (e.g., the basic rest-activity cycle), and getting some movement or changing activities ever 90-minutes or so can be warranted to maintain alertness, but the idea of a productive pause has further implications for one’s effectiveness.
Jim Harshaw considers the productive pause an opportunity to regain focus and clarity. Certainly, this is can done with the morning routine (and can be followed by a pause prior to going to bed to sleep), but I find midday to be another important—and most difficult time—to hit the pause button. Midday is a time when a multitude of forces are acting on us to throw us off course—to distract and discourage us. Midday is an excellent time for a brief (15-minute or so) reset.
As difficult as it can be, I try to schedule a break in the day when I can have 15 minutes of undisturbed quiet time to close my eyes and meditate and prayerfully reflect on the day. Sometimes, it is helpful to just sit and listen for inspiration.
We are always rushing, and technology has allowed us to fill our down time with “stuff”. Dr. Bridgett Ross refers to “vanishing pause time” (http://rosspsychology.com/blog/vanishing-pause-time). This is the notion “that with the immense time-saving benefits of technology also comes the loss of time to reflect, relax, breath, collect oneself…pause.” I see it with my students. If I give them a break during class, they immediately pull out the phones rather than talk or simply consider what we have just discussed. Most of us are no different. We frequently check our social media, e-mail, test messages, etc.
The “productive pause”, I suggest, is a time to turn devices off and let our minds go to a deeper place—a place where we can be inspired and recharged. I like to think of it as listening for the voice of God for inspiration. It is not a time to let one’s mind race through the things one needs to do. Rather is a time for deep breathing exercises, recitation of one’s mantras, prayer, and/or just quiet thought. It takes effort at first. It takes quite a bit of discipline, actually. When I take the time, though, and can get to that place, some of my best inspiration comes. The challenge is to make the time.
We need take heed of how we spend our down time. Not all of it needs to be “productive”. We need not add stress to our lives by trying to relieve stress. Take some time to just relax, but allow for some of this to be “productive” in the sense that it contributes to your “well-centered fitness” and your growth plan. Seek inspiration in music, podcasts, and even television, but allow yourself to indulge in some beneficial “me time”.
Carpe momento!
“To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.”—Tony Dorsett