The Grasshopper popped in during my swim today. He said, “I paid more attention in life than I did in school.” I had to muse on that for a while.

My sense is the message is more about paying attention than anything else. Attention is the main commodity in human communication. The more you pay, the more you receive.

Too often we escape into our heads when someone is attempting to communicate with us. I think that’s where I spent most of my time when attending school. When it came to life, I finally figured out that I had to come out and play in order to comprehend what others truly had to say.

Paying attention pays dividends. You can really decode what someone is communicating, even if their words are saying something different. One of my teachers called it “Other Than Conscious Communication.”

I’m reminded of the St. Francis of Assisi quote: “Preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary.” And also the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you are saying.”

Paying attention is a Win-Win. You connect with others more deeply when you pay attention to them. And you see, hear, and feel pertinent things you would have otherwise missed if you stayed inside the mist of your internal thoughts.

Final thought on paying attention: Give it a go and you’ll see more of the show.

All the best,

John