By Dr. Eric Perry, PhD
Image Credit: Pixabay
“There is only one world, the world pressing against you at this minute. There is only one minute in which you are alive, this minute here and now. The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” ~Anonymous
What if all we are is a fleeting and fragile physical manifestation of our thoughts; unconnected floating ideas that bind together to form the physical representation of your self and the world you live in?
The moment of complete awareness of the self is a sacred one that should not be wasted in anguish and confusion. Every moment is an opportunity to be fully aware and reconnect with your living force. One can create these moments of reconnection by pausing for any amount of time during the day and fully engaging in your self. Rushing through your days in a caffeinated trance will leave you feeling empty and mourning the loss of your day. The next day may start with you feeling at an anima deficit which will spiral into a feeling of playing catch up in your life. The culmination of this trance-like existence will be waking up when the credits of your life are playing. You might be left wondering, “What was it all about?”
This does not have to be the script of your life. Learn to pause and take in what is going on in your world. Take a moment now. Pause, take a breath and embrace the space around you. Take an inventory of your thoughts and how you are feeling. These occasional mental timeouts will allow you to disconnect from autopilot and take the controls of your life. Being truly aware and engaged in your life may result in you feeling every bump in the road of life, but see this as confirmation that you are living and experiencing everything life has to offer.
I take a pause at every available opportunity. The usual silence and solitude of an elevator offer me instant refuge from the world. The small elevator space instantly becomes a temple of sorts. This forced pause gives me a moment to acknowledge how I am feeling and lets me reconnect with self. Often times, if others are in the elevator, I notice there are some who are not as comfortable with the quietness and may try to engage in conversation in order to break what may be the perceived loud silence of the elevator. I wonder what would happen if they reframed their discomfort of the elevator and chose to see it as a small sacred place where they can be in silent communion with a group of strangers.
There is a fascinating study by John-Dylan Haynes, a neuroscientist at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany that questions the consciousness of our decision making. The results of this study suggest that your brain makes up its mind up to ten seconds before you realize it. By looking at brain activity while making a decision, the researchers were able to predict the choice people would make before they themselves were even aware of having made a decision. According to Frank Tong, a neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University, “The results are quite dramatic since ten seconds is a lifetime in terms of brain activity.”
This illuminating study challenges the idea of how conscious we are when we are making decisions throughout the day. It suggests that our brains are making decisions before we have any conscious awareness of what is taking place. Perhaps, the brain is acting on autopilot and is only waiting for us to disengage from it and take over. The next time you are faced with a decision, pause and reflect on your choices. By actively practicing being fully present in your life you can shed the chrysalis-stage of your existence and begin to live a full and rewarding life.
I hope you enjoyed this article. I would love to hear your thoughts and insight on this topic in the comments section below. This article is meant for educational purposes only.
The thoughts expressed in this blog post are my own and are not meant to create a professional relationship with the reader. This blog does not replace or substitute the help of a medical professional. Please note, I am unable to answer your specific questions as I am not fully aware of all of the circumstances.
Kindly,
Dr. Perry
“I help ambitious and high achieving individuals manifest a life of success and fulfillment in order to achieve the life they truly desire.”
Dr. Eric Perry | drericperry.com
© 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Really interesting article – it made me wonder how much we still react according to instinct rather than rational though process and I think it’s going to keep me wondering all day :O)
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beautiful post! and I agree with an earlier comment, this makes you think about how aware one is in life.
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I think that is an excellent and interesting post. It reminds me of a book that I read, called The Power of Now, by Eckart Tolle. It argues that our subconscious mind is trying to take over control of our bodies and one way is does that is by making us think about the past and possibly tie ourselves in guilt and anguish over past choices or mistakes, or make us worry about the future, which is a pretty pointless waste of time. In so doing it gets to make all the decisions. I am actually quite happy to let my subconscious mind make a lot of the decisions because I worked out a long time ago that it is far more observant and clever than I would ever be. 🙂
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Very interesting and funny point! thank you for your comment ✨
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I just read the Power of Now and it’s helped me be more present and especially to stop resisting things I can’t control. Not sure I agree 100% with everything in it, but it’s a very intriguing book.
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Thank you! I needed this today. Usually when Friday comes around I feel like a zombie. This was a great reminder to snap out of it!
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Glad you liked it. Thank you for your comment✨
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Excellent blog post. Thank you.
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I am not sure how you manage being a Doctor and writing so many great posts! However you do it keep it up!!!
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Thank you! I appreciate the positive feedback. This is one of my creative outlets. My only hope is that my writing is of interest and helpful to someone. Have a great day✨
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Your writing is always interesting and helpful. I don’t always comment, but I surely enjoy your explanations. They are real honest helpful and true of life. I really enjoyed the elevator suggestion. I hate elevators. Taking the time in one from now on to meditate might just be the ticket to “getting out alive!” lol. Seriously though, great idea. Loved it.
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Thank you so much for your positive comment! Please let me know how it goes in the elevator✨
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lol. Certainly will 🙂
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I love this post ..actually all of them 🙂you alway get me thinking (in a good way ) and this was so interesting , I really needed to read this today , thank you as always.
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Thank you so much✨ Have a wonderful evening.
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Thank you , you as well.
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Hi, great post! I am going to try to have a moment of elevator meditation tomorrow! I have to admit I am one of the chatty kathy’s that you have encountered in the elevators! thanks
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Good luck! Let me know how it goes. Thank you for your comment ✨
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A mantra from the book “Your Zodiac Soul” seems to apply: “I am here, I am now, fully present as I am” – Thanks for the interesting article.
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Great quote! Thank you✨
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The world is in the busy and so much of it is worthy. But there is great truth that my soul rests in the pauses. Well written. Thank you for the wonderful reminder 😊
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Hi Ellie, indeed a pause offers us a brief moment to rest ones soul. This was beautifully put✨✨
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Dr. Perry, that blog post was so wonderful!
You’re abosolutely right about that. So many people just drag through the day and not enjoy life at the PRESENT MOMENT.
People just want to be on auto-pilot, and let their habits do the talking, while they’re worrying and stressing about what could happen in 30 minutes.
Thank you for the blog post, I truly appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Geary Erua
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Hi Geary, I am very happy you like it! It is very important to be aware of the tendency to be on auto-pilot. It’s ok to let go sometimes but one has to be present for the special moments in life so as not to miss them! Have a great day my friend✨
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I really appreciate the insights of this post. I myself have started slowing down, pausing and noticing as a daily practice several times throughout my day. I think it changes the quality of my thoughts, my interactions and my overall day. Taking the body and mind OFF autopilot now and then is a helpful reminder about what is truly important.
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I needed to see this post! I’m really going to make an effort to do this. I’ve got lots I need to let go of… this may help me do that!!
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Such a thoughtFULL post, Dr. Perry!! I’ve never exactly heard someone say that Living in the moment,( thoughtfully, rather than absent-mindedly, is the key to having a rewarding and full life. But you must be on to something–life will only be meaningful if we are actually aware of what we are doing, why we are doing it, and how we feel about it–not to mention who we are spending that time with. All those things that help us break out of the “chrysalis stage” of living… what a great metaphor! I will be taking those pause breaks more often..there is much to be mindful of, grateful for, or to simply remember to relish in.
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Especially the times we spend waiting at tram or bus or train stops. Many regard them as wasted lifetime. Essentially these moments are for us to claim and make into something nourishing, exactly as you described really eloquently. Great article.
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The subconscious never ceases to amaze me. It’s so much faster and more powerful than our conscious minds. Unfortunately, it’s not very good at telling our conscious. Solitude is essential to hear what it’s trying to tell us. Great post!
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I love the points you made about finding any quiet moment to create a “temple” for ourselves, a sacred space to disengage from the world. I’m definitely guilty of living on autopilot–it’s scary to be so aware of the world sometimes! But I can work on it, even just a moment at a time.
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Hi Robin, all we can do is try our best. Thank you so much for comment and have a wonderful day✨
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will do my best to remember what you said next time i’m in a lift. great idea.
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What an interesting post sir. Enjoyed myself reading it
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Thank you Victor✨
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I’m delighted sir
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This is such an interesting and informative read. I’m trying hard to incorporate more mindfulness into my day and being present…It’s made a small difference already as I’ve had two small inconveniences hit me this week and, usually, I’d fly off the handle and be a spoilt brat about it; since choosing to be more mindful, I’ve handled it much calmer (and kicked off only half as much.) Thank you for sharing these words and encouraging me further into a more mindful life!
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Really enjoyed reading this article with its many intuitive insights. We live in a frenetic world and yet it is the empty spaces that speak. Have a great day.
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Thank you for such a beautiful comment✨
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Always rushing is not going to be good in the long run, especially if you want to shift the situation to be better. Great post Doc!
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Excellent post! 👌
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Thank you!✨
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Reblogged this on Inspire Someone Today.
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I loved this piece. I for one sometimes spend too much time worried about ticking off boxes on my to-do-list instead of taking time out to hit the reset button and simply enjoy priceless moments life has to offer. I shall do this more often 🙂
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I am so glad you liked this post. Thank you so much for your comment✨
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Great post and very informative! Several years ago, due to circumstances beyond my control I was forced to pause and be still for months. This experience taught me great lessons and I grew immensely. Today, I continue this practice of being still and I can tell you it has changed my life. Every so often if I feel I’m trying to catch up with everyone else, I notice this and pull back. I think many of us are running around in a crazy state and we automatically think we have to catch this train, but we don’t! Once we realize this, it is freeing!
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mhm yes! Your character building journey reveals much. It’s amazing how whatever the calamity, IF we live through it AND intentionally use it’s dense energy towards varieties of disciplines or a shift of mindset our turnover intuitive growth becomes tremendous. Nearly like, as odd as it is to say, we became a whole ‘nother person. Thank you for sharing miss. 🤗
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Reblogged this on bodyandsoulnourishmentblog.
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Agree…very well said.
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Reblogged this on Wendi Pasco-McGregor and commented:
A useful reminder from an interesting site of the gap that exists between what happens, how we feel about it and what we choose to do.
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I’m sitting in my garden right now, pausing, my dog at my side, the wind tickling my face, as I eat my lunch outside… on a beautiful sunny day. And I’m reading about pausing. Life’s funny that way 😊
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Sounds absolutely beautiful. Enjoy✨
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For me, often it is so much difficult to secure some minutes of stillness each day for myself. I need stillness as much as breathing air. The wisdoms of silence are the only we should follow, for the simple reason that they come from our great inner self.
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Love the quote. Great article! The older I get the more important I realize the need to slow down more often and learn to appreciate the moment.
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Learning to pause and slow down, breathe and be present has made all the difference in my life
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Insightful post as always Dr. Perry. 10 seconds? Leaves me much to think about. It may well just become a habit of mine to read your blog religiously. Becareful 😉😁
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Hope to see you often my friend✨
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Another great post. It’s easy to be on an autopilot mode because it takes less effort for mundane daily tasks. I think it takes a commitment to truly live in the moment because there is fear of missing out or left behind if you slow down. I think it just might be the most important commitment of all because it’s for your own happiness and sanity.
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What a beautifully written piece, thought process could go on for quite a while with this 👌
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Thank you for the kind words Hailey✨
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I seriously needed to see your post this morning! I’ve been trying to becoming more aware and present in each day! It’s challenging! I fight “autopilot” daily! Or… should I fight it knowing my brain has already got it figured out? In which case, I just need to sit back and enjoy the ride! Looking forward to more posts!
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great post 🙂
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Interesting, so I wonder if what we call intuition is, in fact, simply better awareness of our brain activity?
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I enjoyed reading your article, very uplifting and inspiring!
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Thank you very much for your kind words✨
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Dr. Perry,
I have a testimony using the practice of pause and how it can have a positive impact in our lives. I have been aware of the power of pausing to evaluate my decisions for about a year now but I have really begun to practice using this technique for the past six months. In that time I have noticed I am more aware of my emotions and how they affect the decisions I am making. When I take the time to pause and evaluate I am much more present and accountable-as you suggest in your writing. The most difficult part for me is catching my emotions in time; with practice this does get easier.
Annie
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Hi Annie, Thank you so much for sharing this. We all have some days when it is more difficult to slow down and pause before we act. As you mentioned, it gets easier with practice. Have a wonderful evening and thank you for your comment✨
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Inspiring and truth in your words, Dr. Perry. Yes I so agree with you that every moment is a miracle and we need to pause and be quiet in our silence to think and take note of what we are thinking and how it is affecting us. Thanks for the knowledgeable share.
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Thank you for your insightful comment✨
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Welcome
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This is very interesting, I’ve never thought that our brain was 10 seconds ahead of me. It’s both scary and incredible. Thank you for sharing Dr. Perry
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You are most welcome. Have a great day Catarina.
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Yes, sometimes I feel that I need a lot of courage to make an unexpected decision or resort to a new course of action in handling an issue. Besides, sometimes I tend to communicate with people through the fixed set of questions. 😄
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Having just finished my morning meditation, pause, this post was very relevant. It reminded me of the practice of mindfulness, taking a moment to become aware of my mind. Thanks for an interesting post.
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I find myself pausing more now to pay attention to what the Universe is sharing with me visually based off my imagination, Say for instance, I have always dreamed of one day owning a Motor Coach and lately they have been in my view quite frequently. So I think its wonderful to live one pause at a time.
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Beautiful post. Thank you Dr. Perry.
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Reblogged this on CROSSROMAN and commented:
REBLOGGED An interesting psychological article.
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Great article, seems that when I have a question the answer appears. Thank you for sharing. 💖
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I am happy this was helpful. Thank you for your comment✨
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Love this post. I am grateful for my daily yoga practice to remind me to be in the moment, find peace in the elevator or waiting room (line at the store, in traffic, etc). The quote at the beginning was perfect.
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Thank you. I am happy you liked it!✨
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You may think I have missed the point, but what you said had value to me. I have been reading, writing, reading some more and writing for hours this morning. Now I am sitting in the backyard. I opened wordpress and found your blog. I have taken a few minutes to close my eyes, pause and listen to the sounds around me. The sounds of the birds singing a plane overhead, the hum of the cars on the highway nearby. It is so quiet and peaceful. I love the feel of the warm sunshine and the cool breeze on my body. I opened my eyes, looked around me at the majestic green pine trees, the pretty blue sky, the fluffy white clouds, even my dogs sitting in the grass. This pause and moment of relaxation will be the best part of my day today. I do not take enough time to sit back, relax, and en joy the day that God has given me. It is a beautiful spring like day today. Thank you so much for your blog. Even though I have not done self examination today, the pause has done me good. I think I will continue for a little while longer….
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Sounds like a perfect day. Enjoy✨
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Beautiful thought!!..i connected with that elevator part..love to read your posts..keep posting.. 🙂
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Glad you like it! ✨
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I love the analogy of the elevator as temple where the silence offers opportunities to reconnect with self. “The sacred now”. as it were. Thanks for another inspirational article. I enjoyed it very much.
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Thank you Carol. I am very happy you enjoyed it✨
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I did – thoroughly!
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Beautiful article!and very true-there’s no worse thought than ‘waking up’ at the end of life and wondering what happened.
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Thank you! I am happy you liked it✨
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Another great post. Tell people to be quiet in the elevator! lol!
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I think this post made me understand someone I was upset with earlier a bit better. I felt conflicted because my heart understood something my mind was bringing resistance to. Although I’ve learnt the hard way to not ignore my heart. I still gotta negotiate with my mind so it quietens down. How I do that is by being aware of my thoughts without identifying with it. The thought I had was centred around how this person can make a decision and not be aware of it in actual moment. My heart believed and felt the truth in this my mind put up resistance.
This was a synchronicity
Thank you for sharing
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This was really lovely and a wonderful, timely reminder!!! Thank You and Cheers!!! 🙂
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I am happy you like it! Thank you and have a great day✨
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Thank You! You too!!! 🙂
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It always relates back to mindfulness in the moment. Cherishing each breathe and our surroundings. Most of the time I’m so busy with work I’m on auto mode. Very informative article!
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Thank you! Glad you liked it✨
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Great article. The best ones always have simplicity at their heart. My pause is my writing and so a poem a day keeps me present – what do I see, experience or feel now – write about it. Finding a routine to “hard wire presence in the present” is a good trick! Keep on writing
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Thank you for sharing this great tip. I am glad you like this post and I hope to continue writing for a very long time✨
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Indeed!! A Very Enlightening read!!
Definitely going to try reflect and practice .
Thank you for sharing this insight.
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You are most welcome✨
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Such an interesting, thought provoking article, I truly enjoyed it! Reminded me of the power of self reflection and meditation 🙏🏻 Thank you for sharing ☺️☀️
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You’re welcome. I am glad you liked it✨
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The brain has already made a decision! That’s amazing!
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It truly is fascinating✨
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You captured it
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Reblogged this on Tracey in Maine.
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More than how tos and exposition, this type of writing resonates. Pause, respite, repose. Action and inaction. These are meaningful concepts to all. Glad you made this
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What a wonderful premise. Thank you for sharing x
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You’re very welcome✨
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This is a very good article. I experience this daily. I know what I’m going to decide and literally try to talk myself out of doing it because I want to be rational and more aware. Often times my brain takes over and I can’t seem to control that which is really hard. I instantly regret the decision and can’t seem to turn it around. But I’m really trying.
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I love the idea of thinking about the elevator as a quiet sanctuary. Will try this!!
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Great! Let me know how you like it✨
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The great French composer, Claude Debussy, said, “Music is the silence between the notes.”
To me this says that it’s during our own pauses we will find the music of our lives. We just need to sit still long enough and really listen.
Great article!
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Great quote. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts✨
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Excellent … Insightful post ✨
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Thank you very much✨
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“I do not want to be a woman who’s life is marked by hurry. I want to be a woman who’s heart is at peace.” -Lauren Gaskill. I posted this quote to my Facebook Page as I thought about my mother who is always rushing about and many times, for no reason. No emergency. No running late. Every space must be filled with doing or talking. Rare is there a pause. I see many women like this and men. Always on the move and if you are not keeping up or moving as fast…you’re not living. You are wasting time. I understand this pause. I think I have always understood the need to pause. I think meditation and yoga has enhanced this for me. When I plan vacations for my family, I never fill our day with endless “doing” and togetherness. We all need pause and space. To inhale and exhale life.
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Great quote! Thank you for sharing your insight✨
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Love this post. Thank you for the reminder to pause and live each moment as much as possible
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How cool is this?! We need to give our intuition more credit. It seems to have a better handle on things than our inner monologue. We need to take the time to be a human being instead of rushing around bein a human doing!
Thank you for sharing this. 🙂
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I loved this blog! I am trying to simplify my life as much as possible and detach myself from less important things and to live in the moment 🙂 While reading your blog about the brain making its mind up 10 seconds before we realize it… It got me thinking… how does it work with procrastinators.. 🙂 This is all so fascinating! Thanks for a great thought provoking blog!
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Chrysalis stage………I think this is the challenge for all of us. Firstly we are not even aware and never been taught that we need to pause, think and practice something like silence or to be with oneself. Secondly the surroundings, the hustle and bustle of life don’t let us do that and thirdly we have become so habitual of the technology that all the free time we want to spend on that. Your article is an an eye opener where each word tries to link us with ourselves. I feel like reading it again and again and try to implement it for sure so that I can stop, think and accept the fact of autopilot mode of the brain and engage myself with awareness. Keep shining dear and keep enlightening❤
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Interesting article! Sometimes, it can be difficult to find time for one’s self when a schedule or pattern has been put in place. But breaking that pattern might be something the brain needs every now and then.
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I love your post “of course” 😄.
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Well said 😊
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Yes definitely. A comfortability with the not-knowing, actionably, with solid boundaries is one of the keys.
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Thank goodness I live in the country. The beauty of nature gives me pause all the time…
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Always a pleasure to read your posts. Thank you for this beautiful reminder.
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“Every moment is an opportunity to be fully aware and reconnect with your living force.” 😀😀😀
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Very interesting. Dzięki for the read!
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Thank you for this, I feel as if I’ve been given a gift. I don’t think I will ever see another elevator without thinking of this article, and I mean that sincerely. Thank you!
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Thank you for writing this, Dr. Perry. Your insight is inspiring and your words are written beautifully. I’m learning more every day to appreciate the moment and take a pause and just be content to be with myself or be “present” when I’m engaging with my son.
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Wow, so cool to learn about our decision making. Love it! And I really like your quote and first paragraph today. So very true.
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Beautiful post! I’m working on taking a pause and just being aware every now and then, so this was perfect to read! I’ve followed 🙂
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What a wonderful article! Thank you for sharing!
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Great post, and as I’ve gotten older, I find myself doing this more and more. Just getting those mental breaks can revive and center me so well. Thank you for your insightful posts!! 🙂
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Great post and certainly relatable. I hadn’t thought about how being fully aware and conscious could correlate to our decision making.
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This post is beautiful! I remember when I turned thirteen like it was just yesterday! It was an amazing day, and I was so excited to become a teen! I felt like a reached a really important milestone, and I couldn’t wait to become a legal adult! Now I am one, and it feels like time has flown by! Now that I’m an adult I’m trying to enjoy each day as a gift and slow down every once in a while. My childhood and teenage years went by fast, and old age can creep up on me just as fast! Plus, everyone has their time to go, and we never know when that might be! Gotten enjoy every moment while you can! Thanks for this inspiring post!
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Thank you for writing this post
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What an excellent thought and a motivating thing to say !!!….I believe the same….the more we think each minute about how better everything could have been , the more we are wasting the precious time and on a broader picture ‘our lives’
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So true. Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, Cheryl Huber, Eckhart Tolle have been guiding lights for me on mindfulness. And now your blog post with its great insights. Thank you!
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This was an interesting post to read! Fascinating to know how the brain works when it comes to decision making. The brain making a decision before we’re consciously aware of it, that’s something I never knew before. But I do notice when I take the time and space to reflect, it helps me activate my motivation to do the things I can do for myself. Thank you for sharing your knowledge on this topic! It really helped me understand the benefit of time and space I need to activate my conscious awareness.
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Hi Dr. Perry! I really like your writings. It’s insightful and relatable that it made me realize that I need to pause and rest myself. Been a while since I visit WordPress and really refreshing to read your writings 🙂
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Excellent article! The elevator example is a great one as it never fails how silence makes a lot of people uncomfortable. I too look for moments each day to reflect.
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Very informative, Dr. Perry. So much I wish the general population practiced this instead of reading reacting to soundbites.
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Intriguing….. truly!
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I love the quote. It says it all.
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Amazing post as always 👍🏻..it was a real need of the day..thank-you for this timely reminder..☺️
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Love this post.I fully agree with the point you made about taking a pause from auto-pilot mode in order to rejuvenate oneself.
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Very beautiful piece Dr Perry . Life is to b taken step by step , with attention to the steps taken .
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I love this article. It makes me think about my morning commute to work especially Mondays which are difficult. So, instead of fighting with myself about it, I use the time to reflect. But my mom loves to call me everyday morning during her commute to work, as we are on the same schedule. And as much as I appreciate our mornings chats, I loose that time to myself. Those chats are often about the the same topics that I tried to avoid. So now I have to find the positives in our morning ritual. I love her all the same, and this is our moment to bond. And that I don’t take that lightly, our time together, because life is not indefinite.
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I really enjoyed this blog post. It really made me stop and think about how much of what I do seems so automated. It’s a very interesting topic. Thank you 🙂
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Due to my singleness, I have learned to enjoy swimming in silence, sometimes a bit too much! And as I have aged, I have grown to stop and notice nature’s beauty in a sunset or a sunrise or the moon in the wee hours of the morning. It has truly made a difference in my attitude as well.
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I like to go to my car and sit in the silent smallness of space. I even go to my car when I want to think away from the chaos and noise of life. I’m sure my neighbors must think I’m strange sitting in my car doing nothing. 😁😊 I love this article.
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Well penned ! As you say — “The moment of complete awareness of the self is a sacred one that should not be wasted in anguish and confusion. Every moment is an opportunity to be fully aware and reconnect with your living force.” That is where we can find our personal power – in those moments of awareness. 🙂
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I know what you mean about the elevator/temple. Before quarantine, it was one place I could always count to to breath.
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Good posts! I enjoy your thoughts you shared.
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👏🏾👏🏾👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏾
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Thank you. This reminded me of a very old draft that I’ve forgotten to finish – about autopilot. My analogy was from our cruising experiences. Out there at sea, no matter how convenient to be on autopilot, the basic rule is ‘always have someone to look out’ literally, to observe and analyse; and override the autopilot if the need arises.
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This was awesome. I feel like we are on autopilot scurry along in our own world. Missing life. Thanks so much this was an excellent read.
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I agree with this so much because I am learning how to take things slowly in life. I am the type of person that expect things to happen rapidly. But, when things unexpectedly occur in my life, I am learning how to sit-back and evaluate my circumstances and understand that everything happen for a reason and usually for the better! For I am learning that making preparation for the better takes patience and sometimes, it requires setbacks (for example: getting laid-off from a job, or sickness).
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Thank you for sharing this post. I am learning how not to think about the future and just live in the moment of time that’s given to me. Everyday is different, but tomorrow is another day to appreciate my life.
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If the sky is clear, I bundle up and step outside to see the stars (5 a.m.). Just for a moment. They are still there, or at least their light still shines. All is good.
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I definitely find it beneficial to stop and reflect. Yoga is a really good tool for forcing me to do it. I remember the first time I did a yoga class, and during the Shavasana at the end (where you lay flat on the ground, completely still and silent) I had a deep panic set in. I never took time to just sit and be present before, and I didn’t know how to do it. It made me realise afterwards how important it is to make time for yourself, focus on your mind, body and breathing, and just be. Fantastic article as always!
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Enjoyed reading all of this post, I had ‘paused’ a moment before coming to the section of how the brain makes a decision before I know it, my purse noticed, despite the grey sky above, the depth of colour in the green of the grass in my garden. There is so much to learn about how our thoughts affect our actions and our brain patterns etc. Fascinating, thank you.
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“Learn to pause and take in what is going on in your world. Take a moment now. Pause, take a breath and embrace the space around you.” This rings true to me. Helpful read, many thanks!
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I’ve lived in both worlds, one where I was too busy to think straight and now I have all the time in the world to think. I definitely prefer the latter
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Interesting article, Dr. Perry! Thank you for this and thank you as well for giving my recent post a like. I’m immensely honored. It means a great deal to me. Have a lovely day!
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Very nice article. Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend.
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Thank you for a nice reminder about the importance of mindfulness. 🙏
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Intrigued by the neuroscientist’s study on decision-making: how our brains make decisions ten seconds before we realize it. I like your advice:
“The next time you are faced with a decision, pause and reflect on your choices. By actively practicing being fully present in your life you can shed the chrysalis-stage of your existence and begin to live a full and rewarding life.” In other words, Stop and Breathe!
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