The days may be shorter and the nights longer, but from the chair where I sit in the early mornings to write and meditate, the sunrise fills my view. I pause and take in the regenerative vitality of the coast live oaks absorbing the rain outside my window. The stillness is a gift.
Saturday, December 21st, is the Winter Solstice, a time to discover the gifts of a pause. Solstice means “sun stands still.” (Sol means sun and sistere means to stand still).
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year for those of us in the northern hemisphere, represents an archetypal return of the light and has been marked throughout history with ceremony and festivals around the world.
Ancient people believed that the continuance of life was not assured and that the community needed to take a break in everyday activities and engage in ritual to bring the sun back. Perhaps it is time for us to pause, to realize that we too hang in the balance in the course of our existence on this planet earth.
At the still point of the winter solstice, there may be no better time to rekindle our relationship with nature’s ways. On a recent High Sierra camping trip, when we slowed down and stepped into the rhythms and gifts of the natural world, we remembered what is wonderful, how we grew from challenges, and listened to the quieter voice within for wisdom.
Today, what we need to thrive is a pause, the sense of timelessness, the still point.
Stillness is an unfamiliar rhythm. We prioritize movement, on how much we get done, how accomplished we are. Watching a pendulum, it’s easy to put our full attention on the kinetic energy, the accelerating momentum and arc of the swing. Yet, when the pendulum swings to full apex, the moment before it starts to swing the other way, the pendulum has the most potential energy.
There are many ways to practice the pause. Take a moment to stop before you open the door and walk into a meeting, before you open the computer in the morning. Follow the movement of your breath in and out. Then shift your attention to the pause, the point where the breath rests before starting the outward or inward journey.
In the pause wisdom resides, the kind of insightful perspective and wider knowing we long for when leading change in these uncertain times.
Consider introducing the following into the way you work to cultivate the gifts of a pause:
1. Ask for a minute or two of silence in meetings or around the dinner table. Invite a pause, to gather your thoughts, to think differently. Reflect on what else may be true to widen the frame of reference. (My recent blog explores this more)
2. Give your attention to what feels incomplete. We spend a lot of time starting, improving and innovating. Pause to reflect on where you feel stuck in the past, what needs to end, or to be completed with a thoughtful conversation or reframe in your thinking.
3. Pause when you are speaking. The pause can be an incredibly powerful moment in public speaking that offers benefits to the speaker as well as to the audience. You take a breath. They take in what you just said.
4. Listen beyond the first words. Give the gift of compassionate attention and genuine curiosity to someone who is upset, stressed or challenged. Ask them to consider a pause to reflect together on what really matters. They will make better decisions.
In our fast-paced relentless lives, the pause gives us time to turn toward purpose and meaning, to realign with values, to reinforce core commitments. Pausing is a simple tool to open our minds, assess the impact of our actions, and rethink the way we relate. Adopting the pause as a practice, we cultivate the sagacity, intelligence and common sense of wisdom.
The pause is restorative. As contrary as this may seem given the cultural expectations, business deliverables, and lengthy to-do lists of the holiday season, you will find that taking the time to slow down, reflect, celebrate the past and envision the future you and your team will emerge stronger than before. This is wise leadership.
More resources
In 2014 I hosted a Winter Solstice gathering of colleagues and friends to strengthen community and attune to the rhythms of the natural world. I outline the steps I took in this blog.