By David Tepera, September 27, 2017
In almost every sport, timeouts are part of the game. When a coach sees their team losing the battle or needs a new strategy, a timeout is called. This gives the team an opportunity to rest and rebuild their confidence.
In case you didn’t know, there are no timeouts in soccer. A coach can only slow the game down by substitutions.
Timeouts seem to have become popular with modern day parenting and teaching. As we all know, when a kid is misbehaving, they are put in timeout and removed from any fun activities. The lesson is for kids to learn negative actions create negative responses.
Just know, there were NO timeouts during my childhood for anyone in the neighborhood. We feared other consequences and that was enough to keep us focused. Now, don’t misunderstand me, my sister Karen and I were fortunate to be raised by loving parents, plus dad was my superhero. But, dad had superpowers, too. Love you, Dad.
Ok, so where and when do we need timeouts as adults? For those of us who work a full-time job, we are given several weeks of vacation according to years of employment.
I learned an important lesson a few years ago. I worked eight years in medical sales for one company, and only took a one-week vacation per year. Money was tight, and as a single parent, I feared losing business while away from work. After those eight years, I moved to a better opportunity and realized I lost critical time with my kids. Now, I take all the vacation I can get and make the most of it by building lasting memories. And, you should, too.
Sometimes, we get bombarded with stress from work, society, children and spouses. You feel like the world is crashing down and you’re drowning in anger. We all experience this, but it’s important to put yourself in timeout.
I’ve actually trained myself to recognize these situations, stop my actions, regroup my thoughts and foresee the bigger picture. This might seem strange, but when the world is punching me from all angles, I start laughing hysterically and yell, “Is that all you got? Bring it, because I’m stronger than that!”
Listen, if you’re giving your best each day, then you are experiencing all that life has to offer. There will disappointments, tragedies and you’ll get knocked down. But, you will also have victories, triumphs and successes because no one and nothing can keep you down.
Now, take a timeout today, regroup and recognize how truly amazing you are.