Have you seen the 2021 movie, “Don’t Look Up” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence about a comet making a beeline for planet Earth? If you haven’t, no big deal. But it made me think about the theme of this blog in which I’m advising everyone to LOOK UP! And UP doesn’t mean towards the sky but away from a digital device or looking down at the ground.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of our focus areas as coaches is guiding youth to step away from a phone, tablet, or computer and look up: get outside, talk to someone, and make eye contact.
But it goes even further. And this message is NOT just for the younger generation. It is for ALL of us.
It is about awareness and respect. What is going on around you? Who is in your peripheral image? Whose space are you coming into? What’s behind you? What’s ahead?
Unless we are looking up, we cannot possibly answer these questions. We are completely unaware.
On a recent trip to England, I was walking in a green (we call them parks here in the U.S.), and many paved paths were going in different directions and intersecting. There were walkers, runners, bikers, people strolling along with children, you name it. But nothing motorized.
The paved paths were a decent size and could stretch about four people wide, walking in tandem. But that’s not how the path is intended to be used because people are coming toward you, from behind, from the side, some moving faster, some slower … the point is that there are other people in play here.
So, awareness is important to get to the appropriate side of the path while others are passing. It is vital to know if a biker is coming behind you so you don’t just veer into their path at the last minute, causing an accident. Or a family struggling with a stroller (also called a pram in England) has extra space to maneuver. So many scenarios but only ONE thing to know: Look up. Be aware. Only then can you appropriately adjust your actions not only for yourself but for others as well.
Along the paved paths, there were stamped signs on the concrete that said “Awareness and Respect.” That’s it. Nothing more. It’s that simple.
Create Awareness and Respect
How can this be applied? If texting or on the phone, can you do it in a safer, less intrusive space? If at a meal, don’t text or take a call. If it’s an emergency, then step away. Finding out the score of a game OR the latest “tea” on the neighbor does NOT constitute an emergency.
When driving, stay focused on that ONE job: driving. Help others who need to squeeze in or provide extra space to those in front of you. We can fall into bad habits of allowing distractions to enter into the space of operating a motor vehicle: texting, eating, digging for something in your bag. You’ve got ONE job: get there safely and allow others to do so as well. Awareness and respect.
Pay attention to the time. Don’t get lost in another task or conversation, only to look up to see you are late for something. Be aware of the time. Set an alarm or notification to serve as a reminder.
What’s the most important part of looking up? Your kids are always watching, so modeling this behavior will pay off across generations. People look up to you. So be sure to LOOK UP to create awareness and respect.
