A Pace of Grace

One of the most beautiful phrases I have ever encountered came from the book A Pace of Grace by Linda Kavelin Popov, creator of The Virtues Project. That simple reminder stayed with me:

Keep a pace of grace for yourself.

How often do we rush from one meeting, one class, or one responsibility to the next? What precious moments are we missing in the spaces in between?

The Gift of a Pause

Yesterday, while sitting on my back deck, I stopped for just a moment.

As I paused, my eyes were drawn upward to an incredible blue sky filled with fluffy clouds. (I am a huge cloud watcher!) The trees were budding, birds were singing, and in that moment, everything felt pretty close to perfect.

I noticed gratitude.

I noticed peace.

I noticed the beauty of simply being present.

A pace of grace.

After a short meditation, I returned to my to-do list.

Returning to the Moment

A few hours later, I found myself back in that same spot.

This time, the sun had disappeared behind gray skies, and I could smell the rain coming — another scent I absolutely love. Earlier in the day, I had been captivated by the colours and beauty in my garden. Now, I found myself equally captivated by the changing sky.

The circumstances had changed, but the wonder remained.

And once again, I felt grateful.

I felt the warmth of the sun I had enjoyed earlier, the peace it had brought to my whole being, and a gentle reminder whispered itself into my heart:

Look up more.

Be where your feet are.

Restoring Joy in Ordinary Moments

Maybe, just maybe, joy isn’t always found in grand adventures or extraordinary events.

Perhaps joy is tucked inside the ordinary moments we so often rush past.

A patch of blue sky.

The smell of rain.

Birdsong.

Budding trees.

A few quiet breaths.

Moments that can be tucked away in our hearts and revisited when we need to remember how to feel joy again.

One of Our Greatest Gifts

In these challenging times, perhaps allowing ourselves to slow down a little is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.

I highly recommend A Pace of Grace. Its message feels especially timely right now.

Because maybe restoring joy doesn’t require us to do more.

Maybe it begins when we simply slow down enough to notice what is already here.

And perhaps, in those pauses, we discover that grace has been waiting for us all along.

You’ve got this.

Take really good care.

And thank you for being here.

♡ Elaine