I’ve had flu this week—that disorientating kind that confines you to bed, where the world contracts and you lose sense of time, drifting off to sleep in the middle of the day. The kind where you can’t focus on anything other than the immediacy of the present moment.
Thankfully, I’m inching my way back to recovery but it made me reflect on what happens when we pause. Specifically, it made me think about the different ways we pause.
There’s the pause that comes from avoidance: I won’t tackle my creative project today, you tell yourself. I haven’t got the energy. I’ll get to it tomorrow.
You might be familiar with this kind of pause. I know I am. The days slide by and the thing you need or want to do remains untouched. Deep down, you’re disappointed with yourself; maybe you even feel a degree of self-loathing. What’s wrong with you?! You really want this thing. It’s sacred to you—intimately linked to your purpose in the world. You don’t know why you can’t do it. You just can’t.
So you don’t.
Why is this?
Precisely because it means so much to you; precisely because it’s sacred. You can’t risk attempting it in case you fail, or it doesn’t turn out like the perfect version you have in your head. In short, the thoughts and feelings you have about your creative project stop you taking action.
Then there’s another kind of pause: the enforced pause.
Like illness, for example. Inwardly, you might be frustrated at being sick; maybe you even feel angry. Not now, you think, I’ve got too much to do. You have deadlines. Other people are expecting you to deliver. But your body—or maybe it’s your spirit—won’t permit business as usual. In this situation, the thoughts and feelings you have about what you should be doing prevent you surrendering to what you need: deep rest, nourishment, stillness.
In both these scenarios, different though they are, there’s a pattern: a tension between the reality of your current situation and your thoughts about it.
You want to show up for your creativity but your thoughts snare you into resistance. The mind wins.
You need to rest and recover but your thoughts agitate your nervous system, which compromises the power of the healing. The mind wins.
Here's what occurred to me this week in the midst of my flu fug: releasing the tension between your thoughts and the reality is a sacred act.
Whether we stop because we’re forced to or because we’re stuck, when we hit the pause button on this conflict, we create space for that greater purpose, for our vision, for the divine.
So, here’s the ultimate pause: recognising the tension and dissolving it. Making a commitment to what, in that moment, is the most sacred thing to do. Connecting to the bigger picture of what matters.
What kind of pause will you choose?
What’s next?
If there’s something you’re longing to create (a writing project, an artistic creation or new venture) but need more courage and guidance, I’m here to support you expand the power of your self-expression.
Here’s how I can help:
Make an appointment for a virtual coffee (free). I hold 3-4 slots every month so we can get to know each other. Perfect if you’re curious about meeting new people and making connections.
Book a 30-minute connection call (free). This is for anyone—whether you have an idea you want to brainstorm, an issue that’s holding you back, or you just want to know more about my work. Think of it as a microdose of powerful coaching that can help point you in the right direction!
Read my manifesto for creative courage (free). Learn about the core principles I work with in my own creativity and business and follow in serial form the journey of how I came to found Wordplay Coaching.
Inquiry of Writing, an intimate group coaching experience. We meet twice a month—in which we use writing as a tool for curiosity, exploration and transformation. Respond to powerful questions, in discussion and in writing; share your experience; get feedback on what you’ve written. Get the support and connection you need to gain clarity about your life and creativity, and develop your confidence. This is currently full but talk to me about joining the waiting list.
Creative Essence 1:1 coaching. Personal guidance to work with you on recognising your survival mechanisms and the fears that hold you back from expressing yourself fully. Twice-monthly deep dives on Zoom plus individualised support between sessions. This is ideal for you if you’re looking for deep transformation and powerful support to make changes in your life or with a creative project.
This is so good Rachel, wishing you continued recovery and a fruitful 2025!