My Intuition Blog Experiment: Read What You Sign

It's Week 39, Day 1 of my blog experiment and I want to scream, "Slow down, people!" Sure, I'm to blame, too. I rush the kids to school, rush to eat breakfast, rush to get the words out of my mouth, rush to get off the phone to get some work done, rush to pick the kids up from school. But -- I do notice -- that when I slow down -- I can think more clearly. And, thinking clearly is essential to hearing the voice in the back of your head.

A couple of days ago, I took my son to the pediatrician's office for a well check-up. After I signed in, the woman at the front desk handed me a full-page sheet of information related to insurance, vaccinations, and changes in office policy. It wasn't a standard HIPAA privacy form I'd read a dozen times; it was full of new information. I asked the receptionist for a clipboard to write on and figured I would do her the favor of finding my own pen in my purse. She looked at me like I was nuts, even though a stack of clipboards sat on her desk, and said, "Most people just stand here and sign it." Really? I pointed out that there was someone behind me and I'd like to read the paperwork if she didn't (freakin') mind. 

Of course not everyone reads the fine print but I at least try to catch the highlights before I agree to something. Are we that busy that it's weird to take time out to understand something before we agree to it? I remember this feeling from the closing table, when we bought our house. It's true that we'd have been there all day if I had stopped to read every page carefully and, while everyone present was polite and professional, there was definitely the feeling of 'it will be really strange in here if you make us all wait while you comb through these paragraphs'. Sometimes, you have to ignore that feeling and read the fine print, anyway. And then, make sure you're not the person rushing other people to do what you want them to do.

After all this, I'm trying to slow it down. Find some Barry White moments in my day. I can hear him now saying, "Baby, don't jump up to check email. Enjoy that lunch with your kids." OK, I realize not everyone is gonna have Barry White's voice in their head but you get the idea.

Listen to what your husband or wife has to say. Listen to your kids. Listen to what's in the air. Listen to your own heart. Listen to your grandmother's voice in the back of your head, even if she's not here anymore. Listen to God.

And don't forget to read what you sign.