I was recently reminded that a STOP can come very suddenly in our life. I was drifting off to sleep and started to hear the wind kick up outside. And when I say kick up, I mean the wind was blowing wildly, forcefully, and loud. Even to the point, that my dog was growling at it like it was an intruder and he was making sure that the wind knew he was there.
I was having a little trouble going to sleep because of the wind and I was looking up at the ceiling fan to use that as a counting sheep method in hopes I would drift off to sleep very soon.
That wasn’t helping me go to sleep and then in just a few minutes, came a pop. I came to the solid conclusion that the electricity went out when the ceiling fan blades slowed down until they stopped completely.
I really didn’t mind it at that point. I was already in bed, snuggled and warm, knew sleep wasn’t that far off and just hoping that the electric would be on before I got up.
Did I drift quietly off to sleep? NO. I spent a few minutes praying, stared at my now stopped ceiling fan, contemplating why I couldn’t go to sleep and then…..my butterfly thought flew in………
A STOP moment can come any time in our life, out of nowhere, and it can mess with us from a range 1-1000. We do not even realize how we depend on electric, electronics, relationships, ourselves and many other things that can seem so small or automatic in life until a STOP.
Let me explain.
I was reminded of one of my biggest STOP moments in life when everything around me seemed to just not make sense anymore, trying to find my purpose, meaning in life for me, my electronics that I always had on around me to deflect was no longer silencing noise in my mind and life. It was one of my biggest and longest STOP moments, that seemed to just come into my life probably because I kept pushing things away and not dealing with them. I was also reminded that it was in that season, that great growth came. It was a time I had to face some truths, face the noise in my head, face things that surfaced from past wounds and unless I dealt with them, they would only get bigger and take more root in my life. Liken it to tree roots for a moment, which can keep growing, get stronger, take needed nutrients from other trees and cause immense damage. That STOP in my life was truly life changing and needed.
STOPS can come in all shapes and sizes in our life. When electric goes out and you are faced with a very dark morning and no heat, you can begin to view life differently and very quickly. You might even come to realize what you are taking for granted and haven’t had a thought about those little things for quite some time.
STOPS can be a sickness that is now diagnosed in yourself or a family member where life suddenly changes, and life doesn’t seem the same anymore. Uncertainties mount up and questions abound and go unanswered.
STOPS can be a job loss, a divorce, an accident that has rocked your world and has seemingly or factually changed your life in ways you never thought possible.
STOPS can be suddenly looking at a situation differently, gaining a different perspective out of nowhere during a conversation, and changing your outlook when you didn’t think that was possible.
Looking back, without the STOPS in my life that were forced in my life or place right in front of me that I had to pay attention, it is very possible that I would not have paused. Taking the needed time at the proverbial STOP sign in my life has provided me chances to self-reflect, reflect on life in general, dive a little deeper and gain a whole lot of understanding and different perspectives. Life changing to say the least.
Think about STOP signs on the roads. They are there for a particular reason and the biggest reasons is to have a car stop at the intersection so there isn’t a free for all and accidents because people are too busy with their own worlds and timing.
May today be the day you gain a perspective on the STOPS on your life, whether past, present, or future. Whether the STOP is forced, placed in front of you to look at or you take some time to do self-reflection, when a STOP moment comes, truly stop…..pause….reflect. See what naturally drops in as a hint of what you can gain in life because of your STOP.
With love,
Kelly Savage
Life Coach, Author, Podcaster