She shared that ”Blackberries used to be something we consumed, not something that consumed us.” At the time, I remember being stopped by this notion of consumption. I certainly had many days and weeks of feeling over-busy, over-scheduled, etc. But, had it reached a point of feeling or being consumed? Of losing completely who I am, what my dreams are, what is important to me? I sat with that for quite some time back then and when I was being completely honest with myself, I had to say that the answer was “yes.” There were times in my life when I felt consumed, when I did what everyone else asked or expected of me and I lost who I was and what was important to me. And, today, if I am not vigilant, there are still moments and days when that can happen. What I find comforting is the knowledge that it is possible (although not always easy) to meet what is here in a way that might keep us from being consumed. But, of course, first I must see and feel that I am disappearing, that I am being consumed. That is where the simple act of taking a purposeful pause comes in. In those moments when I “stop,” whether it is at my desk, or a walk down the hall, or a walk outside for 10 minutes, I can feel the release of the resistance and tension, the dust begins to settle and I can begin to see a bit more clearly. And I can listen deeply to that inner wisdom—who I am, what my values are, and what is important to me. I can even ask myself whether the hustle and bustle is, once again, beginning to consume me. If you care to experiment this week, commit to one purposeful pause each afternoon… a quiet time, even just 10 minutes with no “to do” to take care of… except maybe a delicious bowl of blackberries! Warm regards, Janice