We are made in such a way that we need to take a pause every now and then. This is why we sleep during the night. Sleep is nothing but the body’s way of pausing to rest. We all know how refreshed and relaxed we feel after a good night’s rest. We are ready to take on the new day and all its responsibilities. The vital pause in the middle of a rushed day, can do the same for you!
Most of us give in to irritation so easily, because we are constantly in tension; we have forgotten how to relax.
In the words of a famous poet, “The world is too much with us.” We are filled with the stress and strain of constant striving and struggling. We must learn to pause – so that we may renew ourselves.
Have you noticed how some people maintain their calmness, their equanimity amidst the hustle and bustle of life? Such people seem to possess an inner tranquility, a peaceful centre in their souls, that is unaffected by the turbulence outside.
I am told that the ancient Chinese language comprised characters or symbols for words. Each ‘symbol’ represents an idea, and combination of symbols form words. In Ancient Chinese, the word ‘busy’ was represented by two characters – ‘killing’ and ‘heart’.
I find that truly significant – indeed, a dire warning to us all. I’m afraid we are trapping ourselves in an endless list of tasks, errands, appointments and things to do. In the process, we are stressed, hassled, annoyed and irritated. We have forgotten how to relax!
A sister once said to me, “I always awaken with a start every morning. I nearly jump out of my skin when I awaken – and think of all that I have to do that day.”
I find that sad indeed! If we are unable to start the day with God, in a spirit of faith and optimism, then we are too busy for our own good. As a Buddhist teaching tells us: Whatever the situation, we cannot make peace, unless we ourselves are at peace. Granville Kleiser says: “Do not let trifles disturb your tranquility of mind … Life is too precious to be sacrificed for the non-essential and transient … ignore the inconsequential.”
We cannot always have everything happening as we wish – but we can surely accept everything that happens to us in a spirit of peace and contentment, and our life will be truly serene.
Dr. Arthur Caliandro was a preacher at the Marble Collegiate Church, New York. He wrote about the “power of the quiet centre” that all of us need to cultivate. His easy and helpful suggestion to achieve this is simply to pause: to take a breath. “Pause within the day,” he tells us. “Pause within the hour. Pause within the problem. Back off from whatever bothers you for a while. Sigh – and get a breath of relief.”
We are made in such a way that we need to take a pause every now and then. This is why we sleep during the night. Sleep is nothing but the body’s way of pausing to rest. We all know how refreshed and relaxed we feel after a good night’s rest. We are ready to take on the new day and all its responsibilities. The vital pause in the middle of a rushed day, can do the same for you!
The pause, the breath of relaxation, recharges your batteries and enhances your vitality. Albert Einstein once wondered aloud, why he got his best ideas in the morning – while he was shaving. The answer was simple: the mind needs to be free, to wander, to dream. When it is thus freed, the best creative ideas emerge.
Many great writers and novelists tell us that they hit a bad patch – an empty feeling often called “writer’s blank” – beyond which they can’t seem to continue. No matter how hard they try to think, concentrate and get on with their work, they fail to make any progress. They waste a lot of emotional, physical effort – but all to no avail. Then they put their papers away and take a break – go for a walk, may be, or play with a pet dog or just go out into the garden to gaze at the sky. When the bad patch, the ‘problem’ has been completely put off from their mind, they find that new creative ideas begin to flow.
This is the dynamics of the creative process, that Rollo May tells us in his book, The Courage to Create. By all means give yourself to your work wholly; concentrate on it, give it your best – and then, pause, pull back, allow yourself to relax. Forget all about it and the pause will begin to work for you.
By Dada JP Vaswani
