Learning to pause is one of the essential lessons mindfulness can teach. It sounds so simple and yet for many of us, whose minds flit from one place to the next, it is a lot harder than it sounds. Part of my whole being, prior to daily mindfulness practice, was concerned with making everything OK. Smoothing over rough edges wherever I could find them. To stop doing that has been a slow process, one that is still ongoing. But over time I notice subtle changes. Over time I realise I have learnt to pause, I don’t always wade in trying to fix everything, like I used to. It’s a welcome realisation and one that is infinitely more kinder, to myself and others, than my previous well meaning attempts at sorting everything. An everyday example from busy family life: stuff getting left on the floor on my husband’s watch! Used to drive me to distraction. Do I a) nag him or b) pick it up myself? Neither option appealed. But now I have option c) do nothing, pause, see how it pans out. Nine times out of ten things do get picked up without my intervention. Eventually. Today’s total practice time: 30 minutes