This post is as much for me as it is for you. I have recently found myself shifting from one thing to another at a rapid pace. While I would be the first to say that I don't relax well and I like to stay busy, I have wondered if my choices would be different if I hit the pause button once in awhile. I move quickly past things that I perhaps should stay with a bit longer. In both my personal life (friends) and professional life (clients), I find that we are all on a fast track to ... I am not sure where exactly, but we are definitely moving there at a fast pace.This concept of pausing is about more than being in the moment, it's about bringing mindfulness to our lives - thinking through possibilities and reframing a situation in order to get a different perspective. It can be incredibly helpful to look at a situation through a different frame, and while it may take a little more time, it mostly takes practice. I have found an awesome resource that can help us develop this practice. It's called Pause, 52 Ways to Shift Any Outcome in Less Than a Minute. There is a book and a deck of cards that serve as short, poignant reminders of ways that we can get out of the mindless racetrack and move into a more thoughtful, intentional, choiceful approach to life.
For this week's PQ, I chose one that truly speaks to me right now ... let me know what this question stirs up for you.
Pause #12 - Accept What Is
"In business, as in life, we often learn more from failure than from success. When we experience failure we have an opportunity to learn. we must first embrace that opportunity and accept the situation as it is. To accept what has happened does not mean to agree with it, to love it, or to be resigned to it. With acceptance comes the energy to deal productively with something not wanted. What are you pushing away, avoiding, or ignoring? Try accepting what is. This means you say to yourself 'Okay, it's like this. This is what is in front of me. This is what I get to deal with.' Pause and accept. Transform the current situation into learning. Now you have the power to create something new."
PQ - What do you need to accept?