In my first post on self-care I told you a story about how I got a concussion walking into my garage door.

The next step in my reflection is to explore what I call the So What factor. So that happened. So What?

What meaning will I give it? How do I interpret what happened and why it happened?What significance will this event have in my life? It has the meaning I consciously or unconsciously give it.

Yes, it was mindless. I was doing two things at once – walking and reading my phone.For me, the message was: Slow Down!!

Stop.

Don’t do ANY-THING! You can’t do anything.

What did I notice?I have to notice – or pay attention to how I move forward in life. I literally had to be hit over the head to get this one – duh! I could chalk this up to a dumb accident but I see it as an event that forced me to take time out and look to accomplish less for a period of time.What is the payoff of this? It forced me to be more vigilant with my priorities and cut out anything unnecessary that I was doing. It forced me to have much less computer time – not a bad thing!I notice that when I don’t pay attention, something happens in a not-so-subtle way that requires me to wake up and pay attention. It’s always easier when it’s a gentle nudge versus being hit over the head.

Are there places in your life where you are getting hints as to what you could be doing differently? What is trying to get your attention? Is there a different way to interpret a recent event that better serves you?