We tend to count the days of quarantine. Today is day 27 of me staying home.
The first days were coupled mostly with anxiety, uncertainty, trying to adjust. Creating a workspace at home, creating a new daily schedule, cooking and eating during lunch break. Establishing ways to get groceries.
Our daily habits changed, our routine changed. Staying home with our loved ones, communicating with family and close friends.
After a week or so, once all the “logistics” were done, I felt that I needed to take advantage of this time to work more on my coaching practice, design and create my website. I felt that I had to make efficient use of my time to get productive.
After 20 days, when I planned a few things on my coaching practice, I made a first attempt at designing my website and going live. I was proud of myself.
This whole time, ONE THING eluded me.
This whole time, I was not paying attention to ONE THING.
THE OBLIGATORY PAUSE
I noticed that my daily rhythms changed, my pace of work got slower. I started noticing that having a proper lunch break, cooking my own food, was nice. I started arranging my business calls to a more convenient schedule. I noticed that I kind of enjoyed this slower rhythm.
Then it hit me! THIS OBLIGATORY PAUSE happened and few of us noticed. Others were still too busy even working from home. Others considered that they should not be lazy but be even more productive. THIS OBLIGATORY PAUSE is here and will be here for a while.
Could this be a time to reflect? A time for introspection, a time to take a good look at myself.
A time to spend with myself, to become aware of who I am now, where I am. To be PRESENT.
A time to allow myself to more “being” and less “doing”. To really face my shadow, to face issues that have been on mind for a long time but avoided to deal with them. A time to re-evaluate my career path, my relationship, what I want for my coaching practice, my spirituality level, my feelings. What am I feeling right now? How am I dealing with all this new situation?
I realise now that THIS OBLIGATORY PAUSE is one of the GREATEST GIFTS I could receive.
During my coaching meetings, I started to pay attention to whether my clients had noticed this OBLIGATORY PAUSE. I would ask on their wellbeing and look for any hints on becoming aware of the PAUSE. I noticed that some of them came with new topics for our coaching meetings that were more on introspection, to discover or re-discover their life purpose, to be closer to the true self. Recently, I even had a couple of new clients, students, who were way more aware of this OBLIGATORY PAUSE. They decided with full ownership and commitment that it was necessary to start exploring their path with a coach. They understood the need of having a coach to help them find direction, to openly allow a coach to help them discover their life purpose. In particular, one of these students, during our first exploratory meeting, clearly mentioned that she felt that this OBLIGATORY PAUSE was a blessing for her. She described it as a DEEP BREATH (like in yoga).
To me, her reaction was an EYE OPENER.
My wholeness became attuned to this OBLIGATORY PAUSE.
I now tend to bring this issue up as an opening remark during our coaching meetings. I allow the client to decide whether that is a topic worth exploring or let them continue with their agenda for the meeting.
I think that this is a time to remind ourselves and our clients to PAUSE and bring awareness around this moment. To be fully present and to embrace this PAUSE as the greatest gift they could receive.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS OBLIGATORY PAUSE