Many years ago I spoke VERY quickly. Whatever it was I wanted to say, apparently, I wanted to get it out in a hurry.
My Nana always had to ask me to slow down when I spoke to her on the phone. I can hear her voice right now as I type this, "Margaret, you need to slow down, I can't understand a word you're saying."
When my sister Jane was getting married, I was asked to do a reading at the church. During the rehearsal, the priest said to me, "When you see a comma, pause. When you see a period, STOP for a count of two."
I have followed that advice ever since.
I am a comma queen. It drives my kids batty when I am proofing a paper for them. Recently, one of them said to me, "Do NOT add one comma to this. It is fine."
Whatever, okay, it's your paper, we'll do it your way.
As the month of November gets closer to the end, bringing with it a crazy, early Hanukkah as well as Thanksgiving, take a moment to pause when it's hectic. Take a moment to appreciate that your happiness is right this second and by waiting for (fill in the blank) you are missing THIS moment.
xo
My Nana always had to ask me to slow down when I spoke to her on the phone. I can hear her voice right now as I type this, "Margaret, you need to slow down, I can't understand a word you're saying."
When my sister Jane was getting married, I was asked to do a reading at the church. During the rehearsal, the priest said to me, "When you see a comma, pause. When you see a period, STOP for a count of two."
I have followed that advice ever since.
I am a comma queen. It drives my kids batty when I am proofing a paper for them. Recently, one of them said to me, "Do NOT add one comma to this. It is fine."
Whatever, okay, it's your paper, we'll do it your way.
As the month of November gets closer to the end, bringing with it a crazy, early Hanukkah as well as Thanksgiving, take a moment to pause when it's hectic. Take a moment to appreciate that your happiness is right this second and by waiting for (fill in the blank) you are missing THIS moment.
xo
Pause
Wait a moment.
Take a breath.
Pause.
Before you react, before you speak. Pause. Before it all comes spilling out, take a breath. Pause. Before you say something you're bound to regret later, pause. When someone says I love you, pause before saying I love you, too. After you've raced to your two o'clock appointment and raced to find a parking space and raced two blocks in the rain, before you open the door, pause. Breath out, breath in, breath out. Before the discussion escalates into an argument, pause. Before you raise a hand to strike a child, pause long and hard. Punctuate your day with pauses. Collect your thoughts. Pause. Feel the breeze on your face. Say a prayer. Pause. Take a breath. Pause.
I love that the title of this is Slow Down.
It's close enough to PAUSE for me.
http://youtu.be/sSgPDKG6bB0
It's close enough to PAUSE for me.
http://youtu.be/sSgPDKG6bB0
