Gary Burnison

Pausing to Remember Who You Really Are

Importantly, the quote does not demand dramatic withdrawal; it suggests creating space, which can be modest and repeatable. A five-minute pause before a meeting to name what you’re feeling, a weekly review of what energized you, or a brief journal entry after a hard conversation can all function as identity checkpoints. These small pauses work because they are sustainable. Rather than waiting for a vacation or a crisis to prompt reflection, you build a rhythm where self-recognition is ongoing—like regularly recalibrating a compass so your direction stays true even as terrain changes. [...]