A couple years ago, at a Google team offsite in Los Angeles, I forgot to pause.
In a discussion-turned-debate, a colleague openly criticized the strategy behind my work, and I took it personally. I became defensive, and the anger I felt within bubbled over into a nasty retort.
Rather than respond, I reacted.
If you’ve ever been in a similar situation, you might have ruminated on what went wrong, and how you can do better in the future. I certainly have.
Luckily, there is one simple solution available to all us anytime, anywhere: pausing.
Pausing enables a powerful choice. We can react, normally driven by emotion and impulse. Or we can respond, drawing on our inner intelligence and wisdom.
Taking a pause doesn’t mean ignoring your emotions or being silent. In reality, this small moment of silence allows you to work with your emotions and to be guided but not controlled by them.
As is the case with most of these newsletters, I’m writing this mainly as a reminder to myself. I haven’t mastered the pause, but I’ve seen what it can do, and I hope you will too.
Get curious about where you could use a pause. Maybe it’s in a meeting with a difficult colleague, on a long call with customer service, or after you’ve received some unpleasant feedback.
See what a simple pause can do.