We pay little attention to the space in between.
This is a mistake.
Beautiful sunsets are painted on a canvas of the space in between day and night.
Musical rhythm is determined by the time-sound space in between the notes.
The Space in Between the In-breath and the Out-breath
Years ago, I had the privilege of playing a small role during a retreat with second lieutenants of major U.S. environmental organizations. They were learning to become deeply in-tuned with their love of nature, by way of meditation. They were learning to write and tell stories that would influence legislators and government officials to protect the wild space in between.
Mirabai Bush and Terry Tempest Williams were among the teachers. Mirabai taught people to breathe, differently. Terry taught participants how to notice and then how to let their stories out. I learned about the space in between the breath in and the breath out during this retreat. It’s a simple thing that had a profound effect on the way I think and feel. There is a moment, a split second, when the in-breath turns around and becomes the out-breath. This split second space in between the breathing in and the breathing out, connected me to a deeper experience of experience.
I think we should pay more respect and attention to the space in between:
What I say and what you say
How I feel and how you feel
The changing of the light
The hunger and the feeding
What I think and feel and whether I speak what I think and feel, and so much more
What I’ve Learned from the Space in Between
The space in between, when consciously attended, creates a more intentional rhythm for living. The space in between, when consciously attended, leads us to be less reactive. Reactivity is a major source of much trouble and regret. The space in between, when consciously attended, creates more purposeful consequential actions. The space in between, when consciously attended, allows us to choose powerful silent actions that others feel but cannot see.
This week before the New Year is a space in between. May we use it with intention.
With appreciation to Jesse Lynn Stoner for creating a pause that inspired this post. With a wink and a nod, Jesse, I think we are in the same, or at least a nearby, space in between.