Pausing is magic.
I use an app that reminds me to pause for 3 minutes every 3 hours. When the mind is aligned and firmly committed to a clear intention to pause, it's easy to drop everything and bask in the stillness.
When the mind isn't fully committed, it's amazingly difficult to pause. The mind doesn't want to be interrupted.
The notification comes and enough doubt to ditch the whole thing is created in a fraction of a second, as though a part of me is asking, "are we actually doing this today?".
Without a clearly established intention, willpower isn't strong enough, and the pause doesn't happen. The commitment needs to be made in stillness and clarity if it's to be followed through on the in the heat of the moment.
Intention and commitment are like parents - they bring the love and the discipline and they know what's best. The mind is full of children - keen to run wild and follow desires. Beautiful, and yet without the parents, the children eventually become exhausted and frustrated.
