PBR

PRACTICE: Before starting one activity or engagement this week, Pause, Breathe, Re-center your scattered senses.

Spoiler alert – PBR is not a reference to Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, Professional Bull Rider, or a Piggy Back Ride.

Almost every morning I listen to a devotional piece that begins with these phrases, pause to be still, breathe slowly, re-center your scattered senses. I either write the words out or visualize myself pausing, breathing, and re-centering. A moment of illumination occurred as I listened recently, and I thought of the chaos of the world and the impulsivity of people. How much of what we see, hear about or experience personally might change if more of us Paused, Breathed and Re-Centered before acting or responding? Social media wouldn’t be nearly as popular.

Will Smith may not have run up on a stage and delivered The Slap. Chris Rock may never have delivered The Comment. If either had Paused, Breathed and Re-Centered the world would not have been subjected to whatever that episode became. But that is water under the bridge and in the words of an old, wise, and deceased woman, my mother, “you can say (do) more in a moment than you can hem up in a lifetime.

PBR is a simple pneumatic tool that I am officially adding to my lifestyle toolbox. I now need to remember that it is in there. When faced with difficult people and situations, why not pause, breathe and re-center?

Pausing – stepping back if only for a moment- gives the internal eye of my soul time to assess the situation. Taking a breath– a deep one- releases some of the tension that may be building within and supplies the body and brain with fresh oxygen (clears the head). Having done these two things, I am more likely to be able to recenter my thoughts on what I want to achieve. Sometimes the initial reaction was the appropriate response but most often it is not.

I have been married to the same man for a few years now and one of the mantras we live by is this, “If it will not matter tomorrow why waste time on it today?” PBR is a quick uncomplicated way to determine if it will matter tomorrow and redirect time and energy.

As you look forward to the family, friends, and the festivities of the holiday season, you might want to employ some PBR. Pause and be still – physically and mentally. Breathe deeply and exhale releasing the residual memories of any hurt or angst you may be carrying. Re-center your scattered senses on being present in the moment and the blessing of family, friends, and festivities.

Exodus 14:14

PONDER THIS THOUGHT ---A pause, deep breath, recentering doesn’t change the environment, they change me.