JUST PAUSE
– By Suzanne Soto-Davies
I t wasn’t until my husband made me realize that I couldn’t
sit through a movie without getting up a dozen times, that
I knew my life had become very robotic. From the moment
I got up, until about 7pm, I always felt I had something to
do, and when I sat down for supper and gobbled down my
food, I felt nervous and exhausted. How could I sit through
three hours of television after that? There was simply too much
still to be done!
I felt tired, and went about my days like a zombie. I felt I
needed more help, and complained I had to do it all myself.
I wasn’t sleeping well at night, and yet I still felt I needed to
do more, maybe go to a gym too. Does this sound familiar?
Then I saw a post on Facebook. It read, “People don’t need
to go to the gym and exercise more. They need to do LESS.
Make time for NOTHING.”
It was my “aha!” moment. It resonated, and it was then that
I realized I had become lost in the long list of things-to-do
that I had created, they weren’t things which really needed to
be done. It’s the modern-day curse: We simply do too much.
Pivotal Master Accredited Senior Agent
Life has become too
busy, plus, electronics are
keeping us even busier,
yet we’re disconnected
from those who matter
most. We drink too
much, eat crap food,
judge others, and are
constantly ‘plugged in’.
There has never been such a high epidemic of people suffering
with mental health issues, and illnesses due to stress. No
wonder every new virus hits us like a ton of bricks!
To ‘fix myself’, I took on meditation, my incredible therapist
and life-master for slowing down. My to-do lists now have just
three things I want to accomplish – not twelve. I am learning
to ask for help. I am learning to let go of body image issues,
judgement, and sucking in the stress of others. I am learning
that I can’t fix other people. My floors are sometimes dirty
and dust may collect, but instead, I’ve taken on a new hobby,
and soon I will be outside more, gardening once again.
I encourage you to pause for a breath, learn to do nothing.
Ask yourself daily: “What would make me happy today?”
And when your head hits the pillow, think of three things
you’re grateful for. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a
day. Things can wait. Be kinder to yourself.•
Silver & Gold Magazine ~ SPRING 2020
25