Pausing...

Our world has become "instant." Instant everything. Instant communication. Instant food. Instant access. Instant entertainment.

Instant communication — via telephones, cell phones, email and instant messaging has created an obsession. We receive news from across the globe as it is developing. The media continues to feed our obsession with "instant" information.

Gone are the natural pauses of the day... shelling peas for dinner or sitting on the porch with a glass of ice tea. Convenience has replaced the natural pauses in an effort to get more into the already intimidating day. A frantic pace is expected every single day.

Patience is no longer cultivated. People by and large are distracted, scanning their phones for text messages or checking other social media. They no longer notice the people and real life experiences taking place in their presence.

We were not built for this. It is not how we are meant to operate. We are crushing our spirit — the very life within us — as we hustle and bustle excitedly throughout the day.

I believe we must create the necessary pauses in our day and in our life to restore our natural rhythm. And I don't mean a vacation once in a while where you spend the first few days recovering from this frenetic pace of the day-to-day. I am speaking of pausing daily — creating a sense of balance for our spirit. Then we can glide through our day with clarity and a sense of purpose. With this new vision, difficult decisions are more easily made, priorities fall into place and brilliant ideas come forth. Time becomes just a word instead of an adversary.

So, how do we create the natural pauses? Just find a way to quiet the world. Some obvious options might be through meditation or journaling. Just being still in nature is a favorite way of mine. You may have other ideas for nurturing your spirit and limiting the distractions.

I have much to say on this topic, but this is enough for now. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic.