Don’t Be Careful!
Don’t be careful!
(A word of Caution)
The bright red and yellow lights dimmed. The sound of crunching popcorn gave way to a roar of applause. The Amazing Karloff arrived on stage, armed with sharp knives and a blindfold. His costume sparkled like the twinkle in his eye. That twinkle disappeared behind a black cloth as he donned his mask. His beautiful assistant was tied to a wheel fifty feet away. He raised a knife in the air. The wheel spun. The crowd gasped. They were racked with anxiety. Karloff, however, was not. He knew he would hit his target. There was no doubt. And luckily, that night nobody yelled out the bothersome, “be careful!” There was no need for caution. He felt the handle. He heard the wheel. He knew where his assistant was positioned. He was aware of everything in play. His mind’s eye already saw the knife safely planted at his assistant’s side. It was already done. That’s when he released the knife.
We hear it all of the time: “Be careful!” We all know that we attract our experiences to us. And, if you know even a little about the Law of Attraction, you know that the universe works on whatever one sets their attention on. The universe ‘ignores’ no and not. So first, let’s adjust our title. Let’s get rid of the “don’t.” Here’s our solution to both the title and the dilemma of “being careful:”
Be ‘Awareful!’
We’re not advocating reckless abandon, walking into danger, nor becoming ‘asleep at the wheel.’ To the contrary, we are advocating being alert, awake, and aware. Knowing what is at hand. Being present to what might show up. Here’s the thing with “being careful”: When one cautions you to “be careful” or when you say to yourself “be careful,” you are not only acknowledging that there is a danger, but that you want to make sure you do not tangle with it. Guess what? Danger, harm, trouble or pain are then within your sphere of attention. And since the universe does not acknowledge NOT, you’ve invited the possibility of trouble into your experience. Part of your attention is deflected from whatever the actual goal or desire is (like getting to the other side of the street, planting a knife NEXT to your circus assistant, or effortlessly hang-gliding over a thousand foot gorge.) Anytime full attention and focus is not given to the goal, there’s an ‘energy leak’ that provides a hole wherein the goal may not be accomplished (destination not reached, desire not fulfilled.) Any pro athlete will tell you they don’t focus on carefully hitting the ball. They envision it soaring over the fence or driving hard down the center field.
When one declares “be careful”, one is invoking caution.
DEFINITIONs:
Careful
- Making sure to avoid potential mishap, danger, harm, trouble, pain, or loss.
Caution
- Care to avoid mistakes, mishaps, or danger; warning.
Warning
- indication of impending or possible danger.
Caution comes from the Latin cautio -from cavere - to be on one’s guard.
If you’re ‘on guard’ then you must be defending against a danger or harm. Caution indicates a warning against danger or mishap. Caution is rooted in and invokes fear. Therefore, ironically, being cautious and careful self-inflicts harmful thoughts. At minimum, it pulls energy away from the desired objective (whether it be fun, accomplishing a feat, or finishing a task). At maximum, it allows danger or mishap a foothold in the door.
When a mother yells out, “be careful,” typically they are worrying about all the harm that can befall a child. Indeed, many of us have heard the dreadful stories on the evening news where the mother reports how she was “always worried about that street” and she repeatedly told her kids “to be careful.”
This ‘poison’ that pollutes our awareness and experience has an easy antidote. And it’s one we highly recommend practicing. Rather than being careful, be “Awareful!” Wake up! Get present! Know where you are and the direction you head. Act with intention. Affirm others’ awareness and wake them up to the present moment.
The next time a loved one is about to embark on a trip or your child is about to cross the street, wish them: “Be ‘awareful’!”(1)
(1) ‘Awareful’ is not a recognized word in the English language. Let’s just call it a reminder phrase. A contraction of the phrase “be awake and present”.
Copyright 2008, William Mark Lae
Don’t go out and “Be Careful” today! This day, go forth an be….joyful, expressive, spontaneous, grateful!
