On Awareness
Being aware is important to your survival, whether you’re just out for a hike, or if you’re in an emergency situation. What do I mean by being aware? I mean paying attention to your surroundings all the time, at least on some level. Even being minutely aware of the mean-looking clouds in the distance, or some strange sound in the forest, can mean the difference between comfort and disaster.
The idea of being aware does not only apply to literally being out in the wilderness and paying attention. It also means that you need to plan. You should be aware of some possibilities and plan for them. For example, if you are going hunting in the afternoon, it might be a good idea to bring along some type of shelter, like a tarp, just in case you get stuck over night due to something outside of your control.
If you are the type that doesn’t really pay attention, start. You don’t have to pay attention like you are in some stark classroom, but you do need to be aware of what’s going on around you. And if you think you just can’t pay attention, that you are somehow designed to just be out of it all the time, you’re wrong. Paying attention is something that can be learned. Just ask any Marine recruit.
To illustrate the necessity of this, picture a man walking down a busy street. He’s on the sidewalk, reading or daydreaming, or whatever, when he suddenly realizes he’s at a crosswalk. Instead of being aware of what’s going on around him, he walks out into the street without a care and gets squashed by some garbage truck flying by at 60 miles per hour.
This may seem like an extreme case, but similar things happen all the time. Go to work in an ER for a while and you’ll see what I mean.
Be aware of your surroundings and what goes on around you. It could mean the difference between comfort and discomfort, or the difference between life and death.
