Practice does not, in fact, make perfect. It makes you better.

Diana Butler Bass

Welcome to Day Four of Stop.Look.Go

You might think of each step of Stop.Look.Go as a rich, resonant musical chord that makes for truly beautiful music when combined with other chords. Or imagine each step as a delicious dish unto itself that contributes to a real feast when served alongside other fabulous dishes. In other words, it’s time to put all the steps together!

On one hand the sequence of Stop.Look.Go matters. When we only stop and look, we may gain great insight and perspective, but we miss the opportunity to contribute to the world. Jumping straight to go, we risk acting without wisdom or intention. At the same time, there’s a natural interweaving of the steps that comes through practice; the steps are intended to be a meaningful guide but also not rigid or overly formulaic. No doubt you noticed on the first three days of the Pathway which step came most naturally to you and which was more challenging. The goal is to practice Stop.Look.Go in ways that offer the greatest impact and meaning in your unique life. 

In her book, The Art of Practicing, pianist and Zen practitioner Madeline Bruser highlights the importance of following your curiosity when you practice, whether the piano or something else. She writes, “You can cultivate spontaneity by paying attention to what you want to practice and by working in a way that interests you.” Make the practice your own; try different things and see what works for you.

Today’s Practice: Enrich the Daily with Stop.Look.Go

Before beginning today’s practice, take three minutes to listen to Br. David Steindl-Rast offer his succinct and very compelling description of Stop.Look.Go and the possibilities it holds for us individually and collectively. As you listen, keep in mind what you’ve learned or been reminded of so far about each step of Stop.Look.Go.

With Br. David’s words and passion in mind, you’re ready to begin today’s practice!

Step One: Take Stock of Your Daily Life

Spend a few minutes thinking about the day ahead or what a typical day includes for you. Use the following ideas to help you identify one aspect of your daily life that would benefit from an intentional Stop.Look.Go practice, ideally something you can experiment with starting today or in the near future.

  • Transitioning from one part of your day to another, such as work to home
  • Beginning or ending your day
  • Preparing meals or other chores
  • Caretaking of a family member
  • Showing up for a challenging conversation, event, or issue
  • Walking, exercising, or taking a break
  • Communicating with a friend, family member, or colleague
  • Responding to the daily news

Step Two: Identify the Shift You’d Like to Experience

Now that you’ve identified where you’d like to practice Stop.Look.Go in your daily life, spend a little time thinking about the ways you hope Stop.Look.Go will shift, support, or enrich this aspect of your life. Here are a few questions for consideration:

  • How do you hope your daily life will improve as a result of practicing Stop.Look.Go in this specific way? What do you hope might shift or feel different for you?
  • What do you hope others might notice or experience as a result of your intentional practice?
  • Is there anyone whose support you need as you try this out?

Step Three: Make Your Plan

You know the steps:

  • Stop: Become present to the moment.
  • Look: Expand your awareness and wake up to opportunity.
  • Go: Respond to life with purpose and courage.

Take a few moments to think about how you will apply Stop.Look.Go to the specific aspect of daily life you’ve identified. With intention and practice, all of three steps can take place in a few moments or be as involved as you choose. Try what feels accessible and doable today.

Step Four: Reflect

At the close of the day or after you’ve practiced for several days, consider any changes, improvements, or challenges you’re experiencing.

  • In what ways are you feeling more grateful for the small things in your daily life?
  • Is there anything you’re noticing that you hadn’t appreciated before?
  • What gift is this practice offering, and what challenge?

Scroll to the bottom of the page (or click here) to find the Community Conversation space where we invite you to share your reflections about today’s practice.

Deepening Resource

To continue developing and deepening your Stop.Look.Go practice, use this one-page, printable  overview of the practice steps, which includes reflection questions.

Research Highlight

Gratitude Contributes to Longevity

A 2024 study at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health revealed that gratitude has the potential to increase longevity in older adults. The study focused on 49,000 women with an average age of 79. Over a period of four years, the women who scored highest on their gratitude measurement had a 9% lower mortality rate. Their conclusion: “Gratitude appeared protective against every specific cause of mortality studied, most significantly against cardiovascular disease.”

Photo by Scott Webb


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