The best speakers are the ones who know when to say nothing. As they share their material, they stop, as if they were about to tell a joke. The silence is maddening. They wait until finally.... they deliver the rest of the story.
The pauses are deliberate. They are used for effect. They act like a comedian delivering a punchline. The pause is a powerful tool.
Yet in life, we rarely pause. We rush from our bed, to get to work. We rush from work to pick up the kids. We rush from soccer practice to get the groceries. In December, we hurry through all of our obligations to buy gifts for loved ones. We scurry to friends and families trying not to forget anyone.
We rush through our conversations. We think that everything will be easier when the holidays are over. Only to realize there are a new set of things to do on the other side of December.
I think sometimes we like to rush. Maybe we get addicted to it. If they don't feel close to the edge of the cliff, they don't feel alive.
Other times, we are disorganized and ultimately feel overwhelmed.
We talk fast to get through to the next thought in the conversation.
We drive fast to get to our destination.
We eat fast so we can watch some TV.
And some of us have sex fast so we can go to sleep.
It sounded ridiculous when I wrote the previous paragraph. But it's true!
We all know the magic happens in the journey. Yet I'll be the first to admit I rarely look for it.
How do you find your powerful pause?
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