Wednesday Real Stories — The Power of the Enforced Pause
INTRO:
Sometimes, life throws us into an enforced pause, and trust me, it’s not the end of the world! In this episode, I'm diving headfirst into my recent experience of feeling utterly unproductive and guilty for not recording. But hold onto your hats, because I discovered that this so-called “void” is actually a magical space where clarity and growth blossom. Yep, you heard me right! I’ll share the juicy details about how I went from guilt to clarity, and why embracing the pause can be the secret sauce to our personal evolution. So, grab your favourite snack, kick back, and let’s chat about how sometimes doing nothing can lead to everything!
Details:
Guilt, oh sweet guilt! It's the loudest voice in my head during this time of pause. I kept thinking, “I should be recording! I should be posting! I should be a productivity ninja!” But every time I tried to fight through that noise, my body was like, “Nah mate, not today!”
I eventually surrendered to the void, and let me tell you, it was uncomfortable but also quite enlightening. It turns out that in this so-called void, I wasn't doing nothing at all. I was learning, healing, and even completing two NLP courses!
Who knew cleaning out a cupboard could lead to personal revelations? So, if you've ever felt like you're spinning your wheels, this episode is your gentle reminder that sometimes, pausing is the best way to move forward.
Takeaways:
- Sometimes life throws us into a pause, not out of laziness but for our growth and clarity.
- The guilt we feel when we stop pushing is often just a habit, not a truth.
- Embracing the void can lead to unexpected insights and opportunities, even when it feels uncomfortable.
- Your nervous system knows when it's time to integrate rather than produce; listen to it!
- Not doing something doesn't mean nothing is happening—some growth happens in the quiet moments.
- The pause isn't a setback; it's a portal to new beginnings and deeper understanding.
Chapters:
- 00:19 - Embracing the Pause
- 01:30 - Embracing the Void
- 02:28 - The Journey of Clarity
- 03:49 - Lessons from the Enforced Pause
- 05:01 - The Pause Practice: Embracing Stillness for Growth
- 06:12 - The Power of the Pause
Links referenced in this episode:
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Transcript
Hello, and welcome to the Choosing Happy Podcast.
Speaker A:Now let's have a real moment together.
Speaker A:For the last few weeks, you may have noticed, there's been no podcast.
Speaker A:Not because I forgot, and not because I couldn't be bothered, but because life placed me in what I can only describe as an enforced pause.
Speaker A:And today's real story is about that space.
Speaker A:The guilt, the resistance, the void, and the unexpected clarity.
Speaker A:And why sometimes the pause is the very thing that moves us forward.
Speaker A:So stay tuned for today's Choosing Happy podcast.
Speaker A:Here's the truth.
Speaker A:I felt guilty constantly.
Speaker A:The shoulds were loud.
Speaker A:I should be recording, I should be posting.
Speaker A:I should be further along by now.
Speaker A:Loads of things that I should have been doing.
Speaker A:And it's amazing how quickly our inner critic jumps in when we're not producing, isn't it?
Speaker A:I kept looking at everything I hadn't done, everything on the list, everything I should be showing up for, even writing Christmas cards.
Speaker A:But every time I tried to push through, my whole system said, nope, not today.
Speaker A:So instead of fighting that, eventually I let it go.
Speaker A:I surrendered.
Speaker A:I dropped what I call the void.
Speaker A:That uncomfortable, uncertain.
Speaker A:Nothing's happening, but everything's happening place.
Speaker A:A place we rarely let ourselves be in because it feels unproductive and very, very uncomfortable.
Speaker A:Empty.
Speaker A:Exposed.
Speaker A:But in that void, something subtle began to unfold.
Speaker A:I wasn't doing nothing.
Speaker A:I was learning.
Speaker A:I was integrating.
Speaker A:Healing, listening.
Speaker A:I completed two NLP courses.
Speaker A:I continued my research.
Speaker A:I found myself pottering around the house, clearing, cleaning, rearranging.
Speaker A:As though my external environment needed to shift before my internal one could.
Speaker A:None of it looked dramatic, these little things that I was doing, but all of it was doing something.
Speaker A:And then yesterday, it was kind of amazing day.
Speaker A:I hit this wave of absolute clarity.
Speaker A:It was like the.
Speaker A:The fog parted.
Speaker A:All the last few months of confusion, like a click, like my system finally caught up with itself.
Speaker A:I had clarity.
Speaker A:And suddenly opportunities appeared, ideas landed with certainty, and paths opened that I hadn't even considered.
Speaker A:It's funny, isn't it?
Speaker A:When you stop forcing the breakthrough, the breakthrough finds you.
Speaker A:So what was my biggest realization?
Speaker A:The time is a construct.
Speaker A:It's a perception, a pressure we place on ourselves.
Speaker A:We think we're behind, but behind what exactly?
Speaker A:And whose timetable are we working to?
Speaker A:Some of the tasks I'd been resisting, the ones that felt enormous, turned out to be simple.
Speaker A:Once I stopped fighting myself, resistance had made them into giant tasks, overwhelming.
Speaker A:But presence made them manageable.
Speaker A:And in the pause, I finally saw that the guilt was never truth.
Speaker A:It was a habit.
Speaker A:So here are three lessons that this enforced pause taught me over the last couple of weeks.
Speaker A:Lesson 1 your system always knows before your mind does.
Speaker A:If you can't move, if you can't force it, maybe you're not meant to.
Speaker A:Maybe your nervous system is asking for integration, not output.
Speaker A:Lesson 2 the void is not a failure.
Speaker A:It's the chrysalis, the recalibration, the space where old identities dissolve so new ones can emerge.
Speaker A:And that is a key, key lesson at identity level.
Speaker A:And Lesson three Not doing the thing doesn't mean that nothing's happening.
Speaker A:Sometimes your growth is happening off the page, in the quiet corners of your while you're doing the dishes or like me walking the dogs or clearing out a cupboard.
Speaker A:Your soul does some of its best work when you think you're doing nothing, when you're leaving yourself open to just be so here's your Real Stories challenge for this week.
Speaker A:The Pause Practice.
Speaker A:At least once, just once, let yourself stop doing the thing you think you must do and instead ask yourself, what does my system actually need in this moment?
Speaker A:What would happen if I allowed myself to pause instead of push?
Speaker A:And what might emerge if I trusted the timing instead of fearing it?
Speaker A:And write down whatever comes up for you.
Speaker A:Let it be messy, let it be honest, let it be scrappy.
Speaker A:Sometimes the truth whispers before it becomes aurora.
Speaker A:And if this episode resonated, if you've been in your own and forced pause, I would love to hear your story.
Speaker A:Share it on Instagram or threads at the Choosing Happy Podcast, or send me a Message Heather at ChoosingHappy Space.
Speaker A:Your stories remind us we're not alone in these strange, beautiful, liminal seasons.
Speaker A:Thank you for listening to this week's Real Stories Wednesday.
Speaker A:And remember, the pause isn't the problem.
Speaker A:The pause is the portal.
Speaker A:Until next time, Breathe, trust your timing and keep Choosing Happy.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.
Speaker A:If you enjoyed it or think it would be valuable to others, please do share.
Speaker A:And if you really enjoyed it, please leave me a review.
Speaker A:It really helps the podcast.
Speaker A:All of the links are in the show notes and I look forward to seeing you next week on the Choosing Happy Podcast.
