The Power of Pausing

I recently read Will Smith’s memoir, Will, and I found his journey and candor enlightening. In particular, these revelations resonated with me as important lessons for navigating the business world (and life):

“…the difference between a task that feels impossible and a task that feels doable is merely a matter of perspective. Are you paying attention to (everything you have to do) or are you paying attention to (the next step right in front of you)?”

“‘Surrender’ had always been a negative word for me — it meant losing or failing or giving up. But my burgeoning relationship with the ocean was exposing that my sense of control was actually an illusion. Surrender transformed from a weakness word to an infinite power concept. I had had a bias towards action — thrusting, pushing, striving, struggling, doing — and I began to realize that their opposites were equally as powerful — inaction, receptiveness, acceptance, nonresistance, being. Stopping was equally as powerful as going.”

“…if I stopped talking and thinking so much, I could see and sense the universal tides and I could align my energies to them and achieve twice as much with half as much effort.”

There is a fine line between being productive and being overwhelmed. When you are working from a place of overwhelm, inevitably, the quality of your work, your internal peace (and relationships) will suffer. I realize that when I am not sure of the next step to take, instead of trying to “force” an answer, the best course of action instead is to take a pause. Pausing allows creativity to manifest on its timeline, and solutions can come more easily.