In the past week, I've been learning a lesson about paying attention - and on the benefits of taking action right away instead of putting it off and pretending I haven't noticed. I wish I could say that I've been learning the lesson because I have been taking action - but no. I've been learning the lesson because I'm paying the price of not taking action. Here's what I should have done.

Early last week I noticed that my car was making a tinny, rattling noise as I slowed, accelerated, or idled. Did I quick make a stop at my car dealership? Nope. I thought of it every time I slowed, accelerated, or idled, but not when I could make an appointment. I did finally make a call on Friday and as I described the rattle, my service guy said, "Sounds like the shield on the exhaust. Not a big deal. We'll just take it off. We don't even need an appointment." Whew! It could have been so much worse. And I will get it in - tomorrow or the next day I promise.

More troubling has been a tooth that has been increasingly sensitive to cold - and sometimes heat. I used the most laborious of excuses to procrastinate on this one. 1) I hate going to the dentist. Doesn't everybody? 2) I have a regular appointment scheduled next month; maybe I could put it off till then. 3) It's likely to be a root canal (I've been down this road before) and cha-ching, cha-ching. It's been an expensive couple of months. 4) Maybe it will get better on its own. Right. Well it hasn't gotten better, it's gotten worse. I put it off last week, but after a weekend of considerable pain, I made the call first thing this morning. If I'd taken action earlier, I'd have hurt a lot less!

I did finally take action on another of those long-delayed-to-do-list-items. I finally got myself into the Post Office a week and a half ago to submit my passport application. After all, I'm planning on a trip to Italy this summer, and I shouldn't delay. But of course, because I had delayed, I opted to pay more to have my application expedited. Put something off, the cost is higher. The good news is that my passport arrived very quickly. Just today! Now I have to start studying Italian again!

You'd think we'd learn these lessons. Pay attention. If you notice something wrong - or an opportunity for that matter - deal with it right then. But the painful (literally for me) reality is that many lessons must appear numerous times before we're ready to learn. Such lessons knock, then knock again, then beat the door down - and still we resist learning.

Probably I haven't fully grasped the lesson yet. But before this week is out, a painful tooth and a rattling automobile will be off my to-do-list. And I will have learned five new Italian verbs. I'll probably backslide, but now that these issues have my attention - and I've gone public with my vow - I want them off my plate. Now. And just maybe, I'll feel a little twinge of reminder in my jaw the next time I'm tempted to pretend not to notice something that needs my attention right away. Here's hoping!

What needs your attention right now? Respond to my blog at http://healthypeoplelearn.blogspot.com

And Plan now to participate in my May Telewebinar titled "Relationship Builders". This Thursday, May 24, 7:30 pm. FREE! We'll explore the power of validation and postive enCOURAGEment to build all kinds of relationships - at home, at work, at play!

Many blessings in this darling month of May - and may your teeth be free from pain!