Red lights. Long lines. Crowds at the DMV or doctor’s office or restaurant. They’ve always been obstacles to me. In these situations, waiting is the last thing I want to do. I usually reach for my phone (except at the red light) and try to “use” the time. I tell myself I’m multitasking, even when I’m only scanning the “new arrivals” at Modcloth or checking the weather . . . again. I’ve probably even been a little proud of myself in these moments. Look at me, I think. This long wait could’ve been wasted time but instead I’ve used it. I’m productive.

I was wrong though. A life without pauses is a frantic life. And no one needs to check a weather app when you’re standing by a window.

I recently finished Arianna Huffington’s newest book Thrive. One lesson from the book was to see unexpected pauses in our days as invitations, not as intrusions. I think this is especially true as it pertains to our creative nature. We need mental space. Daydream time. Unstructured play for our minds. Yet, most of us don’t have a lot of that in our daily lives. We’d never schedule it because it seems so unproductive. Instead, daydream time comes to us in the form of red lights and lines at the grocery store.

I’ll admit, when I slam on my brakes at a red light or find myself at the end of a long line, it doesn’t come naturally to think, “Oh good, an invitation to pause!” But it’s worth a try.