There are times in life when a mandatory or forced “pause” will affect you.
A forced pause is when something happens that immediately takes #1 priority with total exclusion to EVERYTHING else.
Most often it’s a health concern.
But not always.
Here are a few examples to help you understand what I’m talking about.
When you or your business comes under scrutiny of the FEDs – freezing all your assets.
Bank accounts, lines of credit, credit cards, basically anything you need to live and operate in the US. The only thing you’ll have at your disposal is physical cash. Either cash on hand or stashed away somewhere not in a bank or safe deposit box located in a bank.
When you or someone very close to you suffers a stroke, heart attack, or unexpected death.
When you or someone you love is in a major car accident requiring an ambulance and a trip to the emergency room.
The first two I haven’t experienced first hand. I have known others who have and it will change your life instantly. And it does force a “pause” in your life.
We all know people who have experienced heart attacks or strokes. I hope I never have to live it with my wife, children, or myself.
The third example I lived through in 2011.
I was driving to work and was in a side-impact collision. Immediately after it happened, for a moment, I thought I was going to die.
Most of the ribs on my left side were broken, my lungs were bruised, and some other things that I can’t remember.
They had to pull me out of the car through the back doors – it was bad.
The ambulance took me to the hospital as I gasped and winced for every breath.
Three days in the hospital and a long recovery at home afterwards.
Forced Pause.
Yesterday I was given another opportunity to pause. It was forced upon me after a chainsaw accident.
I was cutting up logs for future use as firewood.
Once I finished cutting the logs to length (to be slit later), I decided to cut some brush from the fence line.
I was cutting the brush near ground level with the chainsaw held sideways. The saw kicked back and right into my shin.
I looked at it for a moment then ran to the barn where I had some paper towels. I grabbed the paper towels and immediately applied pressure.
My boot was already covered in blood and the visible part of my sock soaked.
Luckily my son was in the barn doing some work. I told him to go tell my wife to bring her car to me.
We rushed to the hospital emergency room.
After several hours and emergency surgery, I was released. My wife drove us home.
Force Pause.
Now I begin the recovery process.
Thank God it is not worse than what it could have been.
The chainsaw cut into the bone and everything in front of and surrounding the bone…
But I can walk.
I didn’t lose my foot. Or any feeling or movement in my toes or foot.
In times of forced pause you have time to think. And reflect.
All other distractions are removed from your mind. You must focus on the matter at hand.
It gives you the opportunity to evaluate your circumstances and look at what is really important.
We often get into a kind of cruise control or autopilot in our lives.
Days, weeks, and years pass by.
We may never take the time to sit and think about life.
Sure we may ponder growing older, ailments and minor injuries we all experience from time to time…
Planning for the future, our careers or profession…
And all of the things involved with being a parent, mother/father…
The thousand and one things you do on a daily basis with little or no thought to.
Our lives become a kind of freight train barrelling through life. Until one day in the distant future we run out of steam and our engine becomes permanently idle.
Never to run again .
But when a forced pause is imposed it derails the train.
It causes a stop, at least for a period of time, while you figure out how to get things back in motion.
Hopefully during these inconvenient “breaks” from your normal life, you take the time given to prepare for the future…
To make better plans, or adjustments to your current plans, so the future is more abundant and prosperous than if the forced pause did not occur.
And don’t let abundance and prosperity be only limited to monetary value either.
The things that are truly important often have little to do with money.
Love, peace, joy, happiness, contentment, family, impact, and properly feeding your mind and body…
Taking the time to live life. Enjoy life.
These are the things that are of real value.
Because when you experience a forced pause, you ultimately have little else than these to rely on.
I highly recommend that we all take time at least yearly to pause. Pause on our own to reflect, plan, prepare, re-evaluate, and consider.
A forced pause comes with added layers of complexity and a host of new problems.
Yes it gives you time to do the things I mentioned two sentences ago. But imposing your own pause without the added problems and complexity is better.
You and I have one life.
Make the most of it and…
Live all the time you live.