Practicing the Pause with Chautauqua-Wawasee
Practicing the Pause –
An Invitation to Slow Down
At Chautauqua Wawasee, we are beginning a new series centered on a simple but powerful idea. Life is not meant to be rushed through. It is meant to be lived, noticed, and experienced.
Practicing the Pause invites us to slow our pace and pay attention to the moments we often move past without a second thought. The ordinary moments. The quiet spaces between responsibilities. The small experiences that, when we take time to notice them, reveal their deeper meaning.
Finding Balance in a Busy World
We live in a world that constantly competes for our attention. Schedules fill quickly. Screens demand focus. Notifications arrive without pause. Choosing to slow down can feel difficult, even uncomfortable. Yet it is often in those intentional pauses that clarity, peace, and connection begin to surface.
This initiative is not about stepping away from modern life. It is about finding balance within it. Practicing the Pause encourages us to be more mindful of how we spend our time and where we place our attention. It asks us to be fully present, even in the midst of busy days.
Reflections From Everyday Life
Over the coming months, members of the Chautauqua Wawasee marketing team will share personal reflections on what it means to practice the pause in everyday life. Each reflection will offer a different perspective shaped by lived experience, reminding us that there is no single right way to slow down.
Our First Reflection
We begin this series with a reflection from Karen Kroemer, who shares what practicing the pause looks like through a grandmother’s eyes. Her perspective centers on intentional listening, being fully present, and choosing where our focus rests in a world full of distractions.
Pause-
By Karen Kroemer
In a world filled with constant noise and endless distractions, pausing has become a spiritual and necessary discipline. Phone calls from unknown numbers, message alerts, emails, and social media notifications clamor for our attention. Yet we are not powerless. We can choose where our focus rests.
If an important call comes from an unfamiliar number, the caller can leave a message. Unless you are awaiting an urgent text or email, those notifications can wait. When we slow down and fully engage in the moment before us, we make space for peace. There is deep comfort in knowing we can choose what matters most.
Many of us turn to Facebook or Instagram to “catch up,” only to find ourselves lingering far longer than intended. Reels appear, minutes slip away, and suddenly precious time is gone. Pausing helps us reclaim those moments and refocus our hearts.
As a grandmother, I’ve come to treasure the sacred act of listening-truly listening. Looking someone in the eye, giving them our full attention, and being fully present are gifts we offer one another, especially to our grandchildren. When we model this kind of attentiveness, we reflect the love and care we hope to receive in return.
Take Control. You get to decide how you spend your time.
We invite you to spend time with these reflections as they are shared here and on our Facebook page. Sometimes, even as adults, we need permission to slow down, breathe deeply, and look at the world with a sense of wonder once again.
As this series begins, we hope you will pause with us.
