Pause for Reflection #1 - Questions for transforming the way we live

I plan to post one question per week for your consideration as part of my challenge to us all to ‘Pause for Reflection’ - #pauseforreflection. We can all benefit from carving out time to stop! With burnout at an all time high and research revealing that up to 50% of clinical burnout sufferers haven’t recovered fully even after 4 years, we need to find another way to BE in this world….

I don’t know about you but my “new year” doesn’t really get started until around the Australia Day Long week-end and often coincides with the Chinese New Year (probably something in that astrologically if you’re into that).  Rarely am I rearing to go by 2 January – I find myself still catching my breath from the year before and the rush to Christmas.  To this end, I’ve spent the past couple of weeks contemplating, reflecting and really just working out what the year ahead holds for me as a wife, mother, friend, coach, new yoga teacher and the rest!  – finding my place in the world with a renewed sense of self and commitment to living my true nature. 

I had the privilege of joining Jasmine Tarkeshi , super Yoga teacher from San Francisco, for 5 days of immersive study on one of the ancient scriptures the “Bhagavad Gita” – consulted by may greats over the years including Ghandi, Einstein, Theroux, Keats and even Beethoven – learning how it’s teaching are still so very relevant today.  This along with an actively rich 2024 has given me much food for thought.  So to this end, I’m hoping you might rise to the challenge of pausing a while, every day…

Celebrate doing less, not more. Anybody who knows me well knows how difficult I find it to sit still….except when I'm asleep. However, those times in my life when I have deliberately stopped, reflected, stayed in bed that little bit longer with a cup of tea and a book or journal, just stopped ‘doing’ have been some of my most productive moments and have allowed me to love better, live better, show more kindness and serve others better - my family, my friends and my clients and colleagues.  As Mother Teresa says, ‘The fruit of love is service’.  Most of my lightbulb moments and ideas come from that still time – (or in the shower, which is a type of pause and self-care time). I urge you to do the same. To carve out some time more deliberately.  Develop some discipline around stopping – even carving 10-15 minutes during the day where you just sit.

All the research suggests that when we purposely stop and create some quiet time, our lives and our work is enriched.  We become more creative, innovative and that thing I harp on about, we live more consciously and therefore more deliberately.

Perhaps journal the answers to the questions I present to you in the coming weeks.  With no judgement – let your inner wisdom reveal the answers organically.  I love this saying from Patanjali – “every thought we think can grow into a tree” and we all know we can do with more trees.  Start to plant your own forest - trees grow slowly and given the right environment, they grow perfectly and in their own time. Lao Zi reminds us that nature grows slowly and look what it accomplishes. So be patient with yourself.

What would the world look like if we all paused for reflection a little bit more? Transform your way of living. The wisdom in each one of us is waiting for us to access that which it knows.  It’s not about adding another thing to your day…or your CV! But rather to understand what footprint will you leave today?  Imagine if more world leaders had to live the footprint they leave?

Live fully rather than just exist each day; look around you, listen to the air, truly taste the water you drink, feel into what you touch and see to better understand.

I aim to remind us all to pause, to take stock, to reflect. Most weeks – I’ll just post a question – for you to pause, think, journal and perhaps share?  Pause….for reflection!...

So - my first question in the #pauseforreflection series is:
>> What makes me come alive? <<