That Moment

Germans Shavchenko and Massot put together many great moments in this week's Olympics Gold Medal winning pairs free skate:   hold-your-breath lifts, perfect synchronization, the way they made eye contact in the middle of the routine. . .that sense at the end when you knew they knew they had it.

And of course, the winning: especially sweet for Shavchenko who is in her fifth Olympic games and up to this point had not won gold.

There was one moment that for me - stood out;  in its simplicity it was spectacular.   In the middle of a routine filled with speed and strength and endurance and lifts and jumps - in the middle of all of that activity and showmanship -  both skaters  came to a nearly complete stop.   Physically, they did almost nothing for just a second or two.

It was that moment.   That breath.   That respite from all that was spectacular.  It was that silence.

I'm afraid that often in our quest to get things done or to be amazing or even to get our point across - we just keep going.  But, like Shavchenko and Massot, we need to engage moments of stillness.   That breath.  That respite.   That silence.

Whether it is the political stage or reality television. . .or the workplace, often things just seem to feel like a freight train going downhill with no ability to brake.  Everything seems to be at the same fevered pitch with no modulation or grace whatsoever.  And if everything is always at the same level of activity - there is no context for what has been or what is about to be.

How much better it would be if we built in those moments.  That time for taking a breath.  Or taking a contemplative walk.  Or having a really nice conversation.    That moment of rest. . .when seemingly nothing is happening, but in truth everything is happening.

That moment.   Shavchenko and Massot put together a spectacular program.  But it was that moment in the middle that made us stop, look at them, and in our breath come to a full realization of what we had just experienced and what we were about to see.

We need more of those moments.

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