Marie Kondo-ing Your Inner Life: The Art of the Pause and the Practice of Curiosity

If you’ve been following along with our posts lately, you might have noticed two themes woven through everything we share: the art of the pause and the practice of curiosity.

I can’t quite remember where I first learned about the power of pausing, but I do know it changed my life. In truth, pausing and getting curious aren’t new ideas — they’re deeply rooted in mindfulness practices. They just show up in a thousand different forms until one day, a version finally hits home for you.

So much of life is spent reacting — acting out of fear, anxiety, old patterns — and then scrambling to deal with the aftermath.But when we practice the pause? When we invite curiosity into the space between stimulus and response? We create the possibility of real, lasting change.

One way I like to think about this is as Marie Kondo-ing your life. You know the drill: you empty your closet, pile everything on the floor, and slowly — piece by piece — decide what still fits, what brings joy, and what no longer serves you.

Pausing and getting curious with your inner life is much the same. You don’t just toss everything away the minute it feels uncomfortable. You lay it all out, you look at it, and you ask with compassion:

• Is this belief still serving me?

• Is this behavior still aligned with who I’m becoming?

• Am I keeping this out of fear or love?

Sometimes, an old "t-shirt" — an outdated way of thinking — still has a place. Other times, it’s time to thank it for what it taught you and gently let it go.

When we pause instead of react, we give ourselves the dignity of real choice. Not everything needs to be thrown out. Not every flaw needs fixing. Some things just need to be seen with new eyes.

The art of the pause and the practice of curiosity turn the messy work of healing into something beautiful — a life we’re consciously choosing, one breath, one decision at a time. 

#MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #PracticeCuriosity #MindfulLiving #InnerWork #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #EverHumanTherapy

Post Written by Stephanie Pelland