The Power of Pause

    It's that time of year for me when I plan out editorial. A few times throughout the year, I spend a couple of days putting together a fairly comprehensive list of upcoming articles for the magazines. I've read more than my fair share of parenting articles this past week and one that proved to be a good reminder to me was about the importance of the pause. Basically, taking a few seconds to think before acting, answering, reacting, etc. I live by the pause in my professional life. I always take a few minutes before replying to a somewhat irritated email (and believe me, I get my fair share of them). Usually my first thought is to strike back, but after a minute or two, I am find I am much better equipped to send a more appropriate reply.

    The power of the pause has also proved to be important in my personal life. I can still feel the my blood pressure rise when I recall the time I had just gotten a new refrigerator. I loved my new appliance! About two weeks after its arrival, I heard my younger say, "Mommy, look at the design I made on the refrigerator." I turned around to see that she had taken a magnet and scratched the front of my pretty new refrigerator. Without yelling, I told her she needed to go to her room for a few minutes. After I was able to collect myself, I was able to handle the situation in a much more calm and rational manner. I'd like to say I use the pause all of the time, but that just isn't the case. There are far more times, especially in dealing with my kids, that I fail to pause before reacting. The article was an important reminder to me of the power the pause can have in my life.

Posted by Margaret Sarver