Time-Out
Childhood. It makes me think of things like ordering off the kids menu, digging in dirt and building blanket forts. But there are some things that boys and girls never stop doing. Some of those things are sleeping, playing with cars, dress up, reading, time- outs and coloring. Are you aware that you can buy coloring books specifically made for adults? As we grow things like size and portion change, I would never want to order of the kids menu today! But let’s go back a bit. I did say time-outs, which is the area we will focus on in this blog.
I have five very active boys, yup five. So here in the Calabrese household we are very familiar with time-outs. We believe time-out is a great tool for children to gain control of their thoughts and actions. But it is not just helpful for the child. It also helps us as the parent or caregiver because we get a break from the child that is getting on our last nerve.
Wait!! My wife and I cannot be the only ones that feel that way?!
It can get so hectic with the boys some days that it’s a good thing that we have plenty of room to separate them for timeouts. One of our boys got into the habit of putting himself on time-out. We wouldn’t have a clue why he is standing there. But it was his way of getting under control or paying for a crime that no one knew about but him.
Ok, so you might be thinking I don’t have children or where is Chris going with this one.
You might be thinking “I am not standing on time -out.”
Think of it like this, the purpose of time-out is to clear your thoughts. Now adults don’t have the same type of time-outs as a small child, but I bet you have had one recently.
How many of you hide in your bathroom or sit out on your porch to get away? Do you sit in your chair with a book or just sit in the quiet (if you can find any) by yourself? Have you sat in the car just a little bit longer before entering your home? Be real… I am, and I’ve done some of these. Just because we are adults doesn’t mean that we don’t need time-outs. We must stop neglecting our needs and take some time OUT!
It is ideal that you would be intentional and schedule time for yourself. Please do not wait until you are exhausted and fragile and run for cover. Humans can handle an awful lot, but it is always better to be offensive than defensive. You can never score if you aren’t offensive. By that I mean you will never win unless the other team doesn’t show up and I hate to be the one to tell you but you can’t get rid of your job, boss, co-workers, neighbors, children, etc… These people will ALWAYS show up and always need more of you. Some of those things you can change, but that’s a whole other blog. The best person on earth to take care of YOU is YOU.
If you take time for yourself you will feel better, rest well, smile more, be happier, peaceful, and be able to appreciate life more.
Back when we had $725k in debt I worked like a mad man for many years doing a bunch of side work. For about a year I was working 100 hours or more a week. I know what it feels like to dig a hole so deep that it turns into a crater. Sometimes I felt like I was trying to fill this crater with a toothpick. We sacrificed so we can fill that crater with water and now it’s as if we have our own lake.
Last year, I was able to take off about five weeks of work from Thanksgiving to Christmas and be with the family. It was amazing! I get to choose when and what I do for work. Don’t get me wrong I don’t live in a fairy tale and of course there are still challenges, but it’s what we worked for. Everything we put our hands to is ours and we get to manage all of it efficiently instead of 80% going to the banks. I’ll never go back to that old way of living.
I learned in this last decade that it’s very important to make time for yourself even if its 5 minutes a day. You have to start somewhere. So I challenge you, let’s not hide in the bathrooms any more but invest in yourself and make the time that you need.
Until next time
