Be Still and Know: Finding Power in the Pause
- Jun 21
- 2 min read
By Martie M. Smith
“Resilience has no age—it’s rising, again and again, with a stronger heart.” — Martie M. Smith
Let’s take a moment to honor something we rarely celebrate: the pause. Not the awkward one when your Zoom freezes. Not the forgetful one where you wonder why you walked into the kitchen. I mean the sacred, intentional kind of pause—the kind that says: "Hold on, life. I need a breath before I break."
We live in a culture obsessed with hustle, performance, and pushing through. We're praised for burning out, for saying “yes” to everything, for pretending we’re fine when we’re barely hanging on. But stillness? Stillness is seen as weakness.
I’m here to tell you: stillness is power. It’s not quitting. It’s preparing. It’s not failure. It’s fuel. It’s not falling behind. It’s realigning. It’s not laziness—it’s wisdom.
You wouldn’t keep driving your car with the gas light blinking and steam rising from the hood—at least not more than once, right? So why do we treat our souls with less care than our engines?
We wear exhaustion like a badge. But what if the real badge of honor was learning when to pause? That’s where the transformation happens.
Because resilience doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it whispers: “I’m not okay today—and that’s okay.” “I’m tired, but I’m still here.” “I’ll try again tomorrow.” “I don’t need to prove my worth to deserve rest.”
And the truth? Resilience has no age. You can be 18 and shattered from life’s first heartbreak, or 81 and navigating a new chapter with shaky hands and steady courage. You can rise at any age, at any stage. You may come back with wrinkles, scars, or tears still drying. But if your heart comes back stronger—you’ve already won.
Let’s be real: life is messy. One day you’re killing it. The next, you’re crying into your cereal asking if adulthood came with a refund policy. That’s the truth for all of us.
But the pause? The pause is where we gather ourselves. It’s where we reset, refocus, and reclaim our energy. It’s not a break in the journey—it’s part of the journey.
Put the phone down. Turn the volume off. Sit with yourself—and breathe.
Because in that stillness, you remember: You are not your productivity. You are not your pain. You are not the worst thing that ever happened to you. You are healing. You are rebuilding. You are rising.
Sometimes, silence is the most honest prayer. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is pause long enough to feel—without fixing, without explaining, without apologizing.
Give yourself permission to feel the weight without rushing to shed it. Feel the ache. Feel the longing. Feel the quiet reminder that you are still here, and that is enough.
Let this message be your permission slip: If today feels like too much, give yourself grace. Pause. Rest. Be still—not to quit, but to come back stronger.
Take the nap. Say the prayer. Laugh at the mess. Cry it out if you need to. Make space for softness in a world that demands toughness. Then breathe in, and say it loud: Be still. And know. You are already powerful. You are already enough. And you are never, ever alone.
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