NOTICE, PAUSE, and ALLOW
I used to admire people who could tolerate all sorts of unconscionable behavior by other people without batting an eyelash or saying a word. I watched my father do this on occasion (at a distance). It was as if an inner being grew inside of him and he came to his fullest stature. At 6’4” he was already a commanding figure. The few times that I witnessed this transformational adjustment it seemed that we got transported somewhere else and my father became someone else! Assuming that is so, we had transcended time and space. I dare say we were in liminal space. And I’m under the impression that these transformative states happen more frequently than we realize.
Liminal space is an inner state and sometimes an outer situation where we can begin to think and act in new ways. It is where we are betwixt and between, having left one room or stage of life but not yet entered the next. . . .The very vulnerability and openness of liminal space allows room for something genuinely new to happen. —Richard Rohr
There is something to be said for solitude, stillness, and the space in between. And it is expressed so eloquently by poets, musicians, visual artists and dancers. Awed, you find yourself exclaiming, “what is this I’m experiencing?” You can recognize it and get pulled into the moments, but putting this arena of wholeness into words has often seemed to appear like a trick of the mind. And yet, I recognize that I’ve gone there often with dance.
In the pause before a gesture there is space that cannot be defined, and probably putting words to it interferes and terminates the eloquence of the moment, reducing the inexpressible to the impossible task of intellectualizing it. For in the pause something opens up that doesn’t require words, just appreciation of the movement to say what needs to be said. Most of the time these subtle moments of creativity happen without our acknowledgement, but if we begin to notice, pause with gratitude in the holy moment and allow it (the essence) permeates the very cells of my being; I’m different as are those witnesses (or none).
You see the essence doesn’t need to be named because it exists with or without us participating. It is just really, really awe-inspiring to partake of the gift of Beingness and give back. What a sacred gift to identify with it and decide to follow the Self. According to Aminah Raheem, Ph. D (August 23, 2025), intention is important—
It is a creative act that initiates a creative process rather than a problem-solving one.
The spaciousness that occurs can be overwhelming initially. From my experience you’ll know the connection to be very Real and once you catch your breath, you can move forward. The light comes in from all directions for those willing to look at and embody it: to notice, to pause, to allow. You’ll know it to be Truth and will be hard-pressed to be convinced otherwise, even if you just have the experience once in your lifetime. You will carry it with you always.
These moments occur during utmost humility with a reverent bow of gratitude! What if life is really that simple and complex all at the same time? I don’t know for sure, but in a PAUSE you might have an experience where you find yourself standing at your fullest stature, one you had not imagined.
NOTICE. PAUSE. ALLOW.