You know, that little voice inside….

No, not the critical one; the one that tells you that you’re too fat, or too poor, or that you can’t sing on key or are techno phobic….(Can you tell, I’ve had some discussions with this voice as well?)

The other one…Your intuition, your protective instincts.  Some people describe the sensation as their Spidey sense.

It’s sort of a strange feeling.  It could be strong , but more likely, it’s subtle; the feeling that something is not right.

I heard this voice today – in a situation that I’m in so routinely that it was a wonder I heard the warning at all.

I was walking my dog, watching her squat to do her business while withdrawing a plastic bag from my coat pocket.  I covered my right hand, like a loose fitting mitten, with the bag, and stooped down to pick up my pooch’s droppings, trying not to lose concentration or balance while India began tugging at her leash, ready to smell the next patch of grass.

Something was not quite right. I sensed this. Maybe this message did not come in words, but the operative, PAY ATTENTION, came through loud and clear.

I looked down at my left hand. The clasp of my watch had become unfastened.  The silver mesh band of my Skagen, was barely touching my skin.  The clasp must have unhinged when I plunged and withdrew my hand in and out of my coat pocket.

I caught my watch, after it dangled for a few moments, before in fell into India’s already occupied poop bag.

Whew, a close one!  I felt relieved, Lucky. Victorious.  I was happy it didn’t fall off, unnoticed, while I was walking home.  I was happy I didn’t have to dig it out of the plastic poop bag.

What an amazing awareness.  At some level, I know I’m clued in to things going on around me all the time, but what made me notice that my wrist was a little lighter? My watch only weighs a couple ounces.

Checking your seat before leaving your passport on a tour bus in some foreign city, deciding not to go on a road trip right before bad weather unexpectedly moves into your area, a last second save of a precariously cradled smart phone or wallet before falling into the non-negotiable, uni-directional swirl of a flushing toilet…

You probably know someone who listened to their inner voice and escaped losses in these situations. Or, maybe you yourself experienced such things…

There have been times when I was afraid my inner voice, like a five-year old having a tantrum, refused to talk to me.  I think that when you don’t pay attention to these subtle but compelling messages, you stop hearing them.

Conversely, when you pay attention, when you tune in to all the things that are happening in this very moment, these messages get into your conscious awareness more often.

The practice of paying attention plants the seeds for noticing things more often.  The impulse feeds itself.  When you heed a warning, you expand your ability to receive alerts.  You also open yourself up to appreciating small pleasures that surround you.

Breathing in an unfamiliar aroma while taking a walk can tell you about a new restaurant to try.  Noticing how good it makes your skin feel when you put on a clean cotton tee can establish a preference for a casual but not sloppy wardrobe.

Paying attention to that voice that tells you to pay attention is so rewarding.

Noticing when a watch clasp becomes undone is no small thing.