The Power of a Pause
Once a year, my husband and I volunteer at a special camp designed to create a fun, memorable, and spiritual experience for families of children with special needs. We initially helped with the parent track—giving parents a space to connect with others who truly understand their journey. Now, we support the mentors who love on the campers all week. I love what happens at this camp and the miracles God allows us to experience. This week in on my calendar every single year, and I would love to tell you more if you are interested in participating or volunteering!
But as impactful and amazing as this camp is, it eventually ends.
When I return home, I always look forward to retreating to what I call "my happy place." When the weather is nice, that place is my deck. The morning after we got back from camp, I didn't even sleep in. I made my usual cup of mushroom coffee (a morning routine I've loved ever since my cousin introduced me to it), grabbed my "library" of journals, books, and my Bible, and headed outside.
It was beautiful. It was quiet, save for the early morning birds, the music of the cicadas, and the faint hum of cars driving in the distance. A light breeze made sitting outside perfectly comfortable. I looked out at the deep shades of green on the trees and noticed a plant I had potted starting to sprout. This is a massive win for me—I am notorious for killing plants, so seeing actual flowers bloom felt incredibly cool! I truly love the happy places we can build at home.
But I don't just have those spaces at home; I create it wherever I go.
At camp, I set up a cozy cushion in my cabin that I brought from home (my husband joked that it looked like a daybed). Every night, I sat there with my Bible to read, decompress, and reset.
I didn't always love spending time with myself, let alone time with God. I used to keep myself so busy that I never recognized my need to pause. It felt easier to keep running until I was tired enough to sleep, only to wake up and do it all over again. The truth? I was running away from myself. I wasn't excited to spend quality time with an unhappy person—even if that person was me.
But over time, I learned to love myself and enjoy my own company. Today, the absolute best part of my day is sitting alone with myself and God.
As I write this, I am filled with emotion because a childhood memory just came to mind. Growing up, if you know my story, home wasn’t always a happy place. But I remember creating a safe space to play with my dolls. I would keep them tucked away in a wooden box and bring them out to play, imagining a life of calm instead of chaos. Somehow, as the hardships of life hit, I stopped creating those happy places. I drifted so far from that practice that it felt scary to try setting one up again.
What changed? I finally decided to stop being afraid of God redirecting me or calling me higher. I realized that no matter what is going on around me, I need a time to pause so I can handle the stress of life. I did this unconsciously as a child to navigate life, and I needed it again as an adult.
Years later, during a trip to Panama with my sister, she looked at me and said, "I see what helps you—you make sure to have time alone." Even in that hotel, I had found a quiet spot to create my happy place every single morning.
What I am trying to say is this: creating a happy place starts with a deep desire to seek peace within. I know I could have stated that in one sentence, but I am a writer at heart and I love watching how God develops the messages He puts on my mind the moment I start typing.
Do you have a happy place? A space where you can escape the chaos to reset? If you don’t, create one today!
While it may not be a permanent physical space, the women in my Christian coaching program, Conexiones(Connections), have shared that our group has become a happy place for them. As one participant recently told me: “I look forward to getting with the group, and when I don't have it, I miss it.”
Both my Spanish and English coaching cohorts are currently full, but I would love to connect with you and place you on our waitlist for the next group. Message me at https://www.oliviahudsonlifecoach.com/contact-me
