04 Jun S.T.O.P. before you Go! Taking a breath is good for your body and soul…
I often say in my medical or safety classes that, “by definition, emergencies are not planned! But you can plan for emergencies.” I, also, have spent much of my working years in emergency and/or wellness related industries. So, I have become focused and passionate about scene/site safety. One tool I offer folks, as it relates to scene/site safety, is the acronym S.T.O.P. I have this stand for: Stop and breathe; Think about; Observe 360; then Proceed. I couple this with a proverb that says, “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way” (Proverbs 19:2 in Judea-Christian Bible). The proverb does not say, “it is not good to have zeal”, but rather “…zeal without knowledge…” Zeal can include an eagerness or fervor about something, to the point in some cases, of being out of control or reckless.
That is the connection I’d like to make here. Zeal can be an amazing trait, but often knowledge of a situation will better ground the individual who is zealous. Likewise when emergencies happen many of us will immediately enter into an “adrenaline rush” and/or a “Fight/Flight” response. I suggest that that response is like zeal. It can be great to be zealous, unless we remain ignorant about what we are zealous about!
From an emergency standpoint, zeal without knowledge can often result in rushing into an unsafe environment without fully realizing what the full situation is. By training ourselves to Stop and take a breath initially we allow our body to receive fresh oxygen which is vital for our brain to bring clarity to thoughts, as well as help our senses refocus on properly gathering information that may be needed for keeping ourselves and/or others safe. So, air does a body good!
What I find so interesting is that in the Hebrew language (what the Old Testament was written in) as well as the Greek language (what the New Testament was written in) the word for breath in each of those languages is also the word for spirit.
As a follower of Jesus Christ, I know I need God’s guidance and wisdom to live out the way that most blesses and pleases Him and others He brings across my path. For me, His guidance and wisdom is knowledge to help me not ‘…be hasty and miss the way.” So, when I breathe in I often consciously remind myself that as oxygen is being drawn in to permeate every cell of my body to help them function optimally, I am also inviting Holy Spirit in to permeate every part of my soul, so that I am primed to receive His guidance and wisdom to love or project or serve those He has brought into my life. Yup, taking a breath is good for your body and soul!