I’m learning that life is really all about the pauses.

Pausing to take inventory of what I need. Pausing to breathe and become responsive rather than reactive. Pausing to notice how lucky I am and how much joy and gratitude I can find within myself for the life I’m living and the changes I’m making.

But we so often forget to pause. I know I do, constantly. In a world that seems to value the amount of productivity that we can cram into a day above all else, we don’t feel we have permission or space to pause. We lose our power to the elements around us and feel like we cannot take time for ourselves.

This all comes back to boundaries. Despite how it may feel, you are still in control of your life and your decisions. You choose where you put your focus. You choose where you put your attention. Yes, you may be in a situation that isn’t ideal, and you may have limited options for now, or for an extended period of time. But I encourage you to look outside the confines of your reality if you aren’t happy with it and see if there are any moves you can make towards creating a different one.

One of the most effective ways to bring peace and contentment to your life is to find time every day to pause and notice the good. Bring in gratitude for everything that’s positive in your life. Again, where do you focus your energy? Do you give it entirely to what you don’t like? There is positive and negative in each and every situation. What do you choose to see? Yes, it is a choice. You may be so stuck in a pattern of negative thinking that it doesn’t feel like one, but it is.

The bad news is that you are the solo determining factor in how you choose to perceive your own life. No one else can do it for you. No one else can put in the work. It’s all on you. The good news is that you are the solo determining factor in how you choose to perceive your own life! You have all the power! You can start to shift today, in this hour, in this very moment, if you so decide.

Once again, it’s entirely about your perception.

It doesn’t take much time and effort to pause for gratitude – it simply takes practice. Capture moments throughout your day. Check in with yourself. What do you need? How can you give yourself more gratitude as well? If something brings you a spark of joy, stop, notice, smile, and appreciate. Don’t rush through. Don’t ignore it. These simple habits can shift your mood, little by little, until by continually practicing them you change the way you see life as a whole.

I think this is one of the simplest ways to begin shifting and finding positivity in your everyday life. Start right now. As with any practice, it takes time to settle into regularity, so be patient with yourself. Come back to it again, and again, and notice when you forget. Draw yourself back in with acceptance and compassion. There is endless gratitude to be found in life if you actively seek it out.

Sending all my love.