Today, let's take stock of our internal landscape and choose a path that feeds our soul.

Explore today's full session at https://intentioninspired.com/creative-autumn13

📣 TODAY'S AFFIRMATION:

"When I pause and take stock of my internal landscape, I am able to intentionally choose a path that feeds my soul. I pause and honor this cycle with grace."

When we feel that there is so much to do we fall back to our old patterns quickly. We may experience feelings of overwhelm and anxiety.  We may begin feeling our life as a hamster wheel...round and round, endlessly "doing" but not moving forward much.  We are busy people and that is why the Pause is so vital to our well-being.

If we can Pause before the overwhelm and anxiety takes full hold we can use the tools we've been learning to honor our cycles with grace. Our commitment to our creative practice is a wonderful way to pause and reassess our choices, beliefs and behaviors.

Other creative tools that can facilitate the Pause (and reset) are meditation, taking a breath, napping, tapping (EFT), connecting to Nature.  My favorite is my journal. Getting fully present and in the flow with a page allows me to pause and reenergize my whole being.

🍂 INSPIRATION FROM AUTUMN:

Autumn is a mixed bag of energy.

In many ways it feels like there is much more for us to do as we prepare for cold and dark, holidays and winter introspection. The transformation also brings with it a bit of sorrow as, once again, everything is ending and changing. Internally we understand that this is part of the cycle so there is excitement in the possibilities to come and new beginnings. Summer was warm, fun and in motion. Autumn suggests that we pause and allow the changes and energies to BE with grace.

With so many feelings and energies wrapped around Autumn, a pause becomes all the more therapeutic.

Pausing to allow ourselves to stop and reassess can ward off overwhelm and anxiety but a pause can have other benefits as well.  

A Pause before answering allows us to collect our thoughts and give a response that is true to ourselves.

A pause also allows us to reframe a response, bypassing our conditioning and triggers and speaking with clarity and compassion.  This pause only takes a breath (two, maybe, if you're already triggered).

A Pause can break the momentum of a thought or feeling that you can't get rid of. 

Breaking the momentum allows us to focus intentionally on what the thought and feelings actually are.  We give these thoughts and feelings a voice and then let them pass through leaving our mind freer.

A Pause will bring us back to this moment and place our focus on what will best serve us.

Being in this moment can turn our attention towards appreciating the beauty all around us, returning to the awe, wonder, and curiosity that we knew as children.

A Pause helps us tune into our body and focus on what it really needs.

Am I hungry?  Have I been sitting too long?  Do I need water?

Consciously and intentionally pausing can literally change your life.

📓 CREATIVE JOURNAL PROMPT

Today is a doodle or scribbling day.  

Both of these activities allow us a Pause.

🙏 A MOMENT OF GRATITUDE

Pausing to remember all that we have to be grateful for is a wonderful way to reset and reenergize.  Stopping to write down five things that you are grateful for can shift your whole being.

I am grateful for

1 _____________________

2 _____________________

3 _____________________

4 _____________________

5 _____________________

👯 COMMUNITY CONVERSATION:

A Pause can change your life.

What is one of your favorite ways to pause?

Please share your observations and creative musings in the comments below or the Art Room Activity Feed at https://intentioninspired.com/art-friend