Pause Before Pursuit

Pause Before Pursuit

I’ve noticed something.

When urgency creeps in—whether it’s to solve a problem, fix a conversation, or chase clarity—we can often forget to pause.

We rush toward action, toward certainty, toward getting it right.

But in that rush, we miss things.
The tone under the words.
The truth behind the reaction.
The quiet invitation to wait, to listen, to hold back just a little.

What if the pause is where wisdom lives?

What if the breath before the pursuit is the moment that matters most?

Lately, I’ve been practising the pause. Not perfectly, but purposefully.

Sometimes it’s one slow inhale.
Sometimes it’s a quiet question instead of a quick solution.

And often, that’s enough to shift everything.

A few questions I’m sitting with:

• What am I assuming right now?

• What’s the most generous explanation I haven’t considered?

• Is this the moment to move… or the moment to listen?

The pause isn’t weakness.
It’s presence.
It’s strength held softly.
And sometimes—it’s the wisest step we can take before the next one.

Go gently,
Mary-Anne