The Power of Stop
- Julian x
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
You know that feeling when everyone wants a piece of you? When the world is pulling at you from every direction and somehow, despite all the noise and demands, you're expected to keep showing up as you? To keep bringing your purpose to the front while you're stuck at the back of the queue?
That's when you need to stop.
Just stop.
Put everything down.
I learned this the hard way, as I seem to learn most things. There was a time when I was running myself ragged, trying to be everything to everyone. The phone wouldn't stop ringing, emails kept flooding in, and I could feel this energetic weight pressing down on me. It's what I call collateral energy damage - all those little bits of other people's stuff that stick to you throughout the day.
We don't realise how much we carry that isn't ours to carry.
When Stopping Feels Wrong
Here's the thing about stopping - it feels wrong at first. We've been conditioned to believe that our worth is tied to our productivity, to how many people we can help, to how fast we can respond. But sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is absolutely nothing.
I remember sitting in my chair one afternoon, completely overwhelmed. My body was there but my spirit had checked out hours ago. You know that feeling? When you're present but not really present? That's your soul's way of telling you it's time to stop.
The Sacred Pause
In all my years of working with Spirit, of teaching mindfulness, of helping people find their way back to themselves, I've discovered that stopping isn't giving up - it's giving in. Giving in to what your soul needs. Giving in to the natural rhythm of rest and renewal.
Think about your breath for a moment. Every inhale has to be followed by an exhale. There's a tiny pause between each breath - a moment of complete stillness. That's where the magic lives. That's where we reset.
When you stop, really stop, something beautiful happens:
The mental chatter quiets down
Your energy starts to settle back into your body
You remember who you are beneath all the roles you play
Your intuition gets louder than the demands
Creating Your Stop Moments
You don't need to wait until you're completely depleted. In fact, please don't. Start creating little stop moments throughout your day:
The Hand Exercise: When you feel that overwhelm creeping in, hold up your hands and just breathe into them. Feel the energy, the aliveness. This simple act brings you back to yourself in seconds.
The Sacred No: Sometimes stopping means saying no. No to that extra commitment. No to being available 24/7. No to carrying everyone else's emotional baggage. It's not selfish - it's self-preservation.
The Energy Check-In: Ask yourself: "How much of what I'm feeling right now is actually mine?" You'd be surprised how much we pick up from others throughout the day.
When Everything Feels Too Much
I want to be really honest with you here. There are days when stopping feels impossible. When the weight of everyone else's needs feels crushing. When you can't see past the mountain of responsibilities.
On those days, remember this: You cannot pour from an empty cup. You cannot guide others to the light when your own flame is flickering.
Sometimes we need to stop not just for a moment, but for a proper rest. A day, a weekend, whatever it takes to come back to ourselves. To remember that before we are healers, helpers, or holders of space for others, we are human beings who need care too.
The Gift in the Stop
Here's what I've discovered - when we stop, we create space. Space for Spirit to work through us more clearly. Space for our own healing. Space for the answers we've been desperately seeking.
The irony is that when we stop trying so hard, when we stop pushing and forcing and carrying the world on our shoulders, that's when everything starts to flow again. That's when we remember that we're not meant to do this alone.
Your Permission Slip
Consider this your permission slip to stop. To put down whatever you're carrying that isn't yours. To step back from the endless queue of demands and remember that your purpose matters too.
You are not responsible for saving everyone. You are not required to be available at all times. You are allowed to rest, to reset, to simply be.
In fact, it's essential.
Because when you stop, when you truly allow yourself that sacred pause, you come back stronger. You come back clearer. You come back more aligned with your purpose and more capable of serving from a place of fullness rather than depletion.
The Practice
So here's my invitation to you: Stop right now. Just for a moment. Take a deep breath. Feel your feet on the ground. Come back to yourself.
Notice how even that tiny pause shifts something?
That's the power of stop. It's not dramatic or complicated. It's simply remembering that you matter too. That your energy is precious. That sometimes the most productive thing you can do is absolutely nothing at all.
Remember, my friends - we're all in this together. And sometimes, we all need to stop together. To breathe together. To remember together that we are human beings, not human doings.
So stop. Rest. Breathe. And know that in your stopping, you're not falling behind - you're coming home to yourself.
With love and understanding,
Julian
P.S. If you're reading this and feeling that overwhelm, that sense of being at the back of your own queue, please know you're not alone. Reach out if you need to. Sometimes sharing the load makes it lighter. We're all here to help each other remember when it's time to stop.
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