Sammy,

Your point about the two ways of pausing is well taken. I struggle with this — on a few fronts. I am still way more reactive than I would like. When I do manage to be proactive — working toward something long-term, rather than in response to something short-term — I feel great. But it is so rare right now. I think that’s what pausing (unforced) can do for you. It allows you to sit in a mindset where your mind can more naturally gravitate toward acting toward goals, rather than just running through the fires you need to put out today.