Stop, Look, Listen

In the 1970’s in the UK, a step-by-step guide was created which was designed to teach pedestrians how to cross a public road safely, this was called the ‘Green Cross Code’. The guidelines within this code was to STOP at the curb, WAIT before stepping forwards, LOOK both ways for oncoming traffic, LISTEN as you cross the road, and ARRIVE ALIVE. Now in 2026 how many of us actively follow these safeguarding measures? Are we actually making the conscious effort to stay alert to the perils of oncoming traffic? Or are we too busy staring down at the distracting device in our hand?

The daily threat of oncoming physical traffic is now on par with the daily threat of oncoming traffic in our life, with the vast majority of extremely dangerous traffic coming from the never-ending onslaught of social media. And while the ‘Green Cross Code’ was initially designed to keep us all safe physically, there is much to be learned from this highly effective code which we can convert into ‘Life Codes’ that can keep us all safe in several ways today.

With so much information available visibly and audibly our emotions are being pulled in every direction possible, which is why we need to take our time to understand what type of information we are being exposed to, and whether or not we actually want to entertain this information. This is where we can begin to implement both the STOP and WAIT codes of the ‘Green Cross Code’ together.

We can STOP ourselves from automatically accepting whatever visual or audible information is being presented to us on arrival. Instead of functioning on ‘autopilot’ and engaging instantly we can take a short pause and WAIT. In this space we are allowing ourselves the time and grace to ask ourselves a very important question which is ‘Do I need to see or hear this?’ and if the answer to this question is ‘No’ then we have the right not to. From whichever source the information has arrived we can choose to ignore it, turn it off, block it, or delete it, and instantly prevent any information we have not chosen to see or hear from being forced upon us.

If we believe the information we have before us is indeed something which we wish to accept, then the next important step is for us to do our due diligence and LOOK much closer. Looking closer at the information we have chosen to give our attention to means we must do some basic research to decipher its legitimacy. We need to ask ourselves if the source of this information is reputable, if the information is credible, and if it is truly showing us the full picture. Once we have asked ourselves these fundamentally important questions the next step is to LISTEN very closely to the message which this information is aiming to relay.

Choosing to LISTEN to anything which is being said and accepting this information at face value can be extremely dangerous. We need to be listening with more than just our audible senses, and ask ourselves if this aligns with what we ourselves are actually hearing with regards to the intentions behind this information. We must LISTEN with clarity to both the words and the tone of what is being said by using our intuition. Our intuition is our built in security alarm which enables us to connect to all kinds of information we receive, allowing us to feel the truth of whatever we are hearing, seeing, or encountering. Ultimately it is when we are consciously listening from an internal place that we are able to gain more clarity on what we are indeed hearing, which enables us to understand whether the information we are engaging with is coming from a place of authenticity and truth or not.

After we have taken the necessary time, space, and energy required to decide if the traffic of information approaching is of any benefit to us at all, the result of our conscious efforts to STOP, WAIT, LOOK, and LISTEN, will slowly become apparent. We will be grateful for our endeavours to remain alert at all times and ARRIVE ALIVE mentally, emotionally and physically, at a positively progressive place of self-control and discernment. And we will also be able to teach our children how to use these important ‘life Codes’ as they too need to discover healthier ways to safely navigate not just the physical traffic on the roads, but their own mental and emotional safety as they cross the highways of life.

© 2026 Real Inner Me. All rights reserved.