Giving Yourself Permission to Pause

It was an emotional day. The kind of day where I knew no work would get done…even if I tried. Reality had rained down on us and it took all I could handle to drive home and drop into exhaustion. I turned on the computer and then thought better of it.

A question my 5-year old daughter asks popped into my head, What would fill up my cup right now?

Sunshine. Movement. A drive with the windows down.

I abandoned my laptop, I knew my work could wait. What couldn’t wait was the emotions stirring underneath the surface. They required time and space to come forward and leak out into my messy life.

I gave myself permission to pause.
I gave myself permission to fail at completing my checklist for the day.
I gave myself permission to take time off.
I gave myself permission to abandon what I thought I would get done.
I gave myself permission to just be.

I got in the car with no set destination. I turned off the radio and tuned in to myself. It was divine.

For two hours before I had to be at the school to pick up my daughter I drove around admiring the golden leaves of Autumn, feeling the crispness in the air and allowing my mind to wander and my heart to release the emotions that were struggling to be heard, felt and seen. This is what I consider an act of self-care.

What luxurious act of self-care have you divulged in lately?
Are you listening to your body, to your emotions and to your well-being?
Are you giving yourself permission to relax, unwind and ease into the present moment?

It is in the present moments of our life that we find inspiration and allow creativity to come forth.

We can’t hustle all the time. We can’t sustain momentum in our lives or our businesses without pausing to feel where we are and recalibrate, if necessary, to accommodate changing scenarios. I invite you to be where you are at. To hit pause from time-to-time and to give yourself permission to just connect, be aware and be present.