Jason Bourne and Situational Awareness

There is a scene in the Bourne Identity that I just love. Jason Bourne is sitting in a diner with a girl, trying to figure out who he is and realizes that he just sort of “notices stuff”. He has the ability to notice things that other people don’t. You can watch the clip here - https://youtu.be/IjrWOZby8s8He possesses a trait known as situational awareness, which means he has an almost superhuman ability to observe his surroundings and assess his environment. Basically, he knows what’s going on, in every sense of the meaning. He is perceptive, intuitive and cued in to the world around him.  

This is a keen skill and one that is acquired through training. There are some folks, such as soldiers, law enforcement officers, and government trained assassins who must embrace and perfect this trait as it can literally help save their lives. Some of us are more situationally aware than others but all of us could benefit by exercising this skill to help us make better decisions in all aspects of our lives.

Although Jason Bourne-like “situational awareness” is super important to possess, (especially if you think you may need to kick someone’s a$$ if someone looks sideways at you;), I think it’s even more important to be situationally aware of our day to day environment. It’s so easy to let one minute, one day, one week bleed into another and before you know it, a long period of time has gone by and they go missed because we simply weren’t aware of the subtle nuisances going on in all of those little moments. For example, what is going on around the dinner table? Does your son seem distant? Is he shut down? Quiet? Stressed? Is your daughter struggling with her self-esteem or in her friendships? Does she need to hear that you think she’s beautiful and worthy of love and respect? How about your wife? Does she feel unappreciated? Desired? Taken for granted? Overwhelmed? Could she use a hug and a brief loving connection with you right now?  

As men, we carry the weight (and honor) of being our family’s protector, provider and leader but sometimes, we can get so focused on “slaying the dragon” each week “for our families” that we are actually missing much of the really important stuff because we’re simply not practicing situational awareness in the moment. 

Now, stop for a moment. Think about what's going on around you right now. Assess your current situation and don't miss "the moment" ;)

Here is a quick verse that I hope will encourage us all:

Joshua 1:9 (NIV) “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Let’s go get it!