Learning to Pause

With 2024 fast approaching I’m back to my annual tradition of reading time management/self improvement books leading up to the new year. I started on the first day of November. First book on the list was ‘Pause: Harnessing the life-changing power of giving yourself a break’ by Rachel O’Meara. The idea of pausing was timely as I went into a weekend at home, without Blake. Blake was headed hunting for the weekend with friends and I would have one whole weekend to ‘pause’ alone, at home before a crazy 2 months to finish the year.

Interestingly for a non-Christian book they talked a good amount about the idea of sabbath. Sabbath can certainly mean different things to different people but the concept mostly remains the same: rest. For believers this is rest and time with our Savior but for unbelievers I think the need for rest is very much still needed.

There’s a sweet spot for me that balances being slower and doing things that energize and rejuvenate me but cannot be doing ‘nothing’. It I don’t have some agenda I find that it bores and further exhausts me, it doesn’t give me life. So where’s the sweet spot for me? 1-2 to restful or energizing activities that can be as simple as reading a book or getting a massage but can also be energizing work like volunteering or reorganizing.

Finding rest close to the holidays seems like a bit of a joke when I look at the calendar but for me it’s taking joy in the fun of holiday events and being ok with saying no when the calendar gets too full. We recently met with our of our Pastors about our serving next year and what that will look like. If I commit, I’m all in. I’m likely to come sick, tired, injured, or with my other commitments in tow but I will be there. I think that might be one of my more redeeming qualities but it also means I can’t say yes to everything that is asked.

So this holiday season let’s see if we can figure out how to pause together.