Waiting for the green light
When we become curious about what happens around us and how our lives are influenced by the environment we begin to notice patterns. When we can notice patterns unfolding in advance we are more likely to put ourselves in the right place at the right moment to achieve the results we want. This is one of the keys to autonomy, health, and success.
When my son and I cross an intersection together I notice his process. He looks both ways (on a good day) and then stares at the orange hand waiting for the walk sign to give him permission to cross. In his eyes the walk sign is the signal.
When I was young my dad use to impress me with his ability to change a red light to green with the snap of his fingers. When we taught me to watch the changing lights of the cross traffic in order to predict when our light would go green he showed me the pattern.
The pattern is the signal.
Building this awareness of patterns is a skill required to move and maintain a trajectory toward health. Our circadian rhythms, the repetitive and predictable stresses of our weekly schedule, our monthly cash flow, our annual calendar. These are the signals that can be seen in advance. If they are not noticed then pain will act as the signal.
At this stage we all realize the relationships among the length of time a light has been red, how the size of the street plays a factor, how the time of day alters the frequency of change, how the speed of the cross traffic slows before their light turns red, and the order that lights will change based on the number of lanes and which of them are occupied.
With this awareness on the way to school, I can predict with high accuracy when my son and I can start preparing to walk. I can teach my son the patterns so he also knows when his turn to go is approaching and when it is not yet safe to move forward.
Notice the patterns.
Notice what you notice next.
[PS: Also notice that we, the pedestrians standing on the corner rather than walking across the street, are part of the patterns that the drivers passing by rely upon. How much do you think they notice?]