“Stop, Look and Listen” – Revisited!

“Stop, look and listen.”

 

Remember that from first grade? Or was it kindergarten?

 

Read it again… “Stop, look and listen.”

 

Hmmm, sounds catchy. (It must be, I’ve remembered it for something like a hundred years.)

 

What does that mean? Yes, I know… it means STOP at the curb before entering the street, LOOK both directions to make sure it’s clear, and LISTEN for any cars, trucks, and errant minivans that you might not be able to see. Now days, you would have to LOOK twice not to miss any stealth hybrids or electric cars.

 

I’m often intrigued, and sometimes amused, at how some of these old sayings might apply to how we live these days.

 

Take for example…

 

STOP trying to do everything, LOOK for the best things, and LISTEN to your heart.

 

Or,

 

Let’s STOP for a beer after work, LOOK over those numbers, and LISTEN to some music and relax for a while.

 

Maybe…

 

Let’s stop for a while, LOOK for a good place for lunch, and LISTEN to some different noise. Meh,

 

I’ll try again…

 

Let’s STOP these long hours, LOOK for something better to do, and LISTEN to that voice you just can’t seem to squelch.

 

Or,

 

Let’s STOP trying to do it all, LOOK for what matters most, and LISTEN to the world around us.

 

Um, excuse me!

“STOP with your nose in your phone, LOOK at me for a minute, and LISTEN to what I’m saying.”

 

That wasn’t very nice, was it? I really think I need to STOP. But allow me one last try…

 

STOP for a minute. Just a minute, with whatever you’re all caught-up in. Take a break. Maybe go for a walk. LOOK at the world around you. Look until you see things you haven’t noticed before. LISTEN to the sounds. Listen until you begin to separate the noise into a thousand individual sounds. The magic is there… just stop, look and listen.

 

Not bad advice for a first grader, is it?

 

How ‘bout you? Want to take a swing at it? It could be fun.