Recently my husband & I were walking in the woods. It’s that time of year when Summer is just about ready to relinquish its hold & submit to Autumn, but not quite yet. I stopped, looked around me & took it all in. And that’s when I felt it…
THE PAUSE IN BETWEEN
It felt like an actual tangible thing. It was above me, below me, all around me. It settled over me like a familiar cozy blanket. The silence was so deep I could feel it in my bones. It was like all of the inhabitants of the woods & the trees themselves were collectively holding their breath. Going quietly inward. Expectantly waiting.
It was the pause in between.
Not only between Summer & Autumn, but between warmth & cold, between light & darkness, between vibrant life & peaceful rest.
It was the pause between the ending of something beautiful & the beginning of something else equally beautiful. It was in this liminal space that I was able to appreciate the beauty of what was, while looking forward to the beauty that was to come. And in that moment I realized something else.
That space, that pause, was the perfect metaphor for where we find ourselves when we acknowledge that we’re ready to grow & evolve into a new, but equally beautiful version of ourselves. I realized that that space is where I am right now.
The quiet in-between space can be scary. Letting go of something that we know, something that we’re comfortable with is never an easy proposition, even if stepping into the next chapter is what we truly want. In nature the pause in between is finite. There is no denying time & the change of seasons it inevitably brings. Nature is on a set schedule. We however, are not. We can spend as much time as we need going inward. Sitting in the silence. Appreciating what was, while preparing for what’s to come.
THE BEAUTY OF THE PAUSE
We all grow & change in tiny incremental steps every day. Usually those changes are so small we don’t necessarily notice them as they’re happening. The tiny changes build up over time though until there’s a relentless feeling inside that just can’t be ignored. A feeling that tells us things are different now, we are different now & it’s time to evolve into our next level self. We know deep in our bones that while the growth might be painful it’s also nonnegotiable & so worth it in the end.
This is when the pause happens. It’s a quiet space where we can get our thoughts in order, where we can sort through our lives & decide what stays & what no longer serves us. The stillness allows us to get our bearings. It’s where clarity happens. It’s where we get real about what the next chapter is going to look like for us. It’s where the sadness for the loss of what was, the fear of the new unknown & the crazy excitement & anticipation of new possibilities all come together. It’s where we face down our fears & realize that the pain of staying where we’ve been is much bigger than the fear of taking the leap forward.
This is exactly where I am right now. I’ve been here before because the last couple of years of my life have been full of changes & seismic shifts in the foundation that I’d worked so hard to build. Because I’ve been here before it’s not nearly as scary as it was the first time. Now I know myself better than ever before. I have the knowledge, skills & tools to figure it all out & chart my own path. Sure, it’s still scary. But the excitement for what’s to come is way bigger than the fear.
If you feel yourself coming up on the pause in between or if you’re already there, but don’t know what direction to go or who you really want to become I’d love to hear from you. I’d love to help guide you & arm you with the confidence & tools to make it easier for you the next time. If you’re ready, schedule a call & let’s talk.
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