Hitting Pause

As the saying goes, sometimes you have to stop and smell the flowers. We all get caught up in what’s constantly going on, that we forget to actually DO IT. I consider myself fortunate because that’s exactly what I got to do this week. I put my regular life on hold to do something I knew I needed to do – take care of my family. Family First. I have never done it before – not like this at least – but it was instinctive. And in the process, I came to a realization.

Every day, I have my routine. I get up, workout, make coffee, eat breakfast, make my lunch, feed my cat, drive to work, work, eat lunch, work, run an errand or two, go home, feed my cat, make dinner, and then try to squeeze in something like reading, watching TV, or spending time with friends and loved ones – then, REPEAT. There are many days or even weeks that I have resented it. There just aren’t enough hours in the day quite frankly. Don’t we all know it?

Rarely do I get the chance to push pause abruptly and leave my regularly scheduled program to do something else that is equally very important. But I did, and I’m thrilled that I did. I’m smiling ear to ear now. In just a few days of taking care of my loved ones, I was able to re-think life – how it is filled with many wonderful things and people. I have a new appreciation for my routines and relish that my daily duties are what keeps me going on an amazing path that I’ve set for myself. I got to take in my life as a whole and realize that the little things don’t matter individually; however, together they compromise my life, and it’s what I choose to put there.  

One last thought to leave you with. If I need to do this – the pause on my daily life – a little more often to remember what’s important, where does that leave everyone else? I hope that we all can someday soon hit pause (perhaps together?) and take a second to look around. We can remember that the daily stuff that bogs us down is exactly what keeps us going. If you don’t like something, then change it, but take a second – seriously, a second won’t hurt – look around and take your life in. Isn’t it amazing?