This week was turned upside down by 1.5 inches…..(pause for dramatic effect) Yep! How’s that for a metric! 1.5 inches of snow was all it took to turn everything upside down on a week going so well at the start. No travel for work. No travel to my scheduled meetings. No travel to my lunch and learn. None. Fruit basket, officially turned over!

Sigh….Then a noise….laughter and screams of joy. These sounds do not fit in with my current mental state or narrative.

I paused.

In my pause, I began to see what was making the ruckus. It was my two daughters playing in the 1.5 inches of snow.

Watching my girls running around like crazy in the front yard with the neighbors, the scene really started to pull me away from the “dark side.” I was able to focus on the moment. My very serious look of discernment (in which I have patented and wield like a Jedi) fueled by the changes of the day transitioned to a small grin. And then a bigger smile.

Over an hour had passed and I had not thought about a task list, the email inbox, the income streams, the bills or the phone messages. Only images of snow covered 5 and 7 year-old cherubs were in my mind.

I emerged on the other side of the frozen fruit basket with a better sense of my place and what I needed to do next to be a great father, husband and business owner. All because of the pause.

I encourage each of you to pause and gather perspective. Take a moment away from the grind. Forget email, forget appointments and forget your bottom line. It will be there when you get back.

Go on.

Get out there.

Your 1.5 inches of snow is waiting for you.