Do YOU remember being told to STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN before crossing the street? I think it might even have been in a message in first grade books! Regardless it has always stuck with me. Those were “safety instructions” for kids, and just a couple of days ago, I heard a similar phrase used in the context of mindfulness.
I’ve mentioned Brother David Steindel-Rast in a previous blog. He’s a Catholic Benedictine Monk who lives/works in the Big Sur, California area. I had the enormous privilege to spend a day in a workshop with him at the Esalen Institute in the late 1980’s. He was the most calm, reflective, peaceful, present person I had ever had the opportunity to be with/experience. And he had a profound impact on me and my approach to meditation — to my ability to focus — to simply paying attention to myself and others.
Consequently when his name pops up I pay attention. I caught the end of an interview with Brother David on NPR. His foundational message was:
STOP, LOOK, GO….
THAT IS SO SIMPLE. It’s also hard. And the point is we move too fast — too fast to see, to feel, to think clearly, to make sound and intelligent decisions. And it really does not add that much extra time to whatever it is you are doing. (I PROMISE YOU THAT IS TRUE)…. What it adds is perspective. When you stop, look, then go, you do so with awareness of yourself and the other people around you or in conversation with you, AND of your environment. You are far less likely to be hit by ONCOMING TRAFFIC — whatever the form it takes!
The chaos around us — here and all over the world — really cries out for us to slow down, to pay attention, to think before we speak or act, to help however we can to add calm and reason to the discussions whirling around us. Stop, look, go and see what kind of powerful and positive energy you might bring to whatever is going on in your life or the life of someone you care about.
And if you’d like to hear the message(s) of Brother David, just google him. You’ll find interviews, videos, and lots of thoughtful information. I simply say blessings to him and the gift he is to us!