Thursday, January 31, 2013

Watch Yourself. That is all.


WATCH YOURSELF.

My father used to shout this out when I was small and in danger of hurting myself, usually while doing something dumb, like running into the street after a ball.

My mother however used to say this to me, in a slow, low voice, accompanied by piercing eyes, when I was a teenager and in danger of being hurt emotionally, by my own headlong rush into territory I didn't yet understand, or by a careless boy, let's say.

About six years ago, when I was working on a magazine article with a life coach, she advised me: "Watch yourself," but she meant it in a different way altogether. She wanted me to observe myself carefully, as if from a distance, so that I could develop a keener awareness of my actions in areas of my life I wanted to change. 


I've been thinking lately about these two words, for reasons too complicated to address right here, right now.

But mostly, I keep coming back to the idea of observation, truly watching myself, and how important it is, and how frequently I don't do it. Watch yourself.  Doesn't it seem like good advice, no matter what  one is doing, working on, worried about?   

I'm sure I could think of a half dozen ways I could tie this into writing. But I won't. I think it stands on its own. And sometimes, that's enough.

4 comments:

fullsoulahead.com said...

It does seem like very good advice. Thank you for sharing this.

kario said...

Lovely.

Lauri Meyers said...

That is great advice, and it worked for old Scrooge, though he had it good with those ghosts taking him all through time to watch himself. I sometimes watch myself through my children - when I say things like "Why do they yell so much?" and then I think Oh...

Tracy MacDonald said...

Sound advice and something I don't do often enough. Thanks for sharing it.