Just Pause

Every poor decision I’ve ever made, and everyone I’ve watched couples make, had something in common: there was no pause. Anxiety drove the moment, while intellect rode in the trunk. When urgency takes over, clarity disappears, and reaction replaces reflection.

The pause is where emotional maturity lives. It is the moment between stimulus and response when you choose wisdom over reactivity. A pause does not mean weakness; it means strength under control. It is often nothing more than a breath, but that breath shifts the brain from emotion to clarity and restores choice.

In everyday life, the pause is essential.

When a child snaps back, pause. When a spouse triggers you, pause. When your teenager rolls their eyes, pause. When someone takes a cheap shot, pause. That brief space gives you access to the part of you that can control instead of react.

Within that pause, better questions emerge: What outcome do I want? What story am I telling myself? Will this move me toward peace or toward regret? Those questions reengage the intellect and quiet anxiety.

The pause puts intellect back in the driver’s seat. It opens the door to gentler words, softer tones, wiser decisions, and healthier relationships.

Anxiety urges, “Act now,” but intellect whispers, “Just pause.”

That pause changes everything: your tone, your posture, your heart. It is the small hinge that swings the big door of emotional maturity.

Watch for the blind spots.

---

See the bigger picture and transform your relationships. Get Blind Spots in Relationships. Amazon, BN, BAM. http://tinyurl.com/yc3usfsp

Author Jerry D. Clark has faced life’s challenges and created strategies for success—he’s eager to share his insights with you! 🎯