The Power of the Pause

Funny motivational speaker Amy Dee,

This morning, I was thinking about the power of pausing.

My teenager is particularly prickly at times. Small comments can easily lead to a blow-up. So I am learning to pause before I speak to consider how my words (and my intonation and expression) might be interpreted.

Pausing is a powerful — not only for the communication I put into the world — but also for those things I bring into myself.

Consider food. I work at a hospital where I am often tempted by cookies, cakes, and candies that others bring to work. Because our job is very fast-paced, it is easy to pop a gooey chocolate chip cookie into my mouth, snarf it down in seconds, in between patients. Pausing for a moment might help me better decide whether that cookie is the best choice for me.

During the next 12 weeks, my purpose is to lose some weight and become healthier. If I take a momentary pause and consider this purpose, I may decide the cookie’s momentary pleasure isn’t worth contradicting my purpose. Pausing might help me think about the sugar and how a bit of sugar never seems to be enough (the reason one cookie quickly leads to two). I may think about what benefits this cookie will give my body. Of course, the 100-plus calorie cookie will be pleasurable, but does it contain nutrients that will help sustain me during my shift…or would an apple or orange better serve me?

Pausing is powerful. Consider adding the power of the pause to your daily life. Twelve weeks from now, pausing may be just the small extra boost you give yourself to make your dreams a reality.

Funny Motivational Speaker Amy Dee’s Home page