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TIME OUT

What is time out?

As we’re all familiar with this term “time out” in sports (basketball, American football, ice hockey, baseball, cricket etc.). Time out signifies when a team stops the clock and game by using one of their time outs. During a time out, the team then have to rest, get water, make substitutions and strategize where they are flopping.

In another definition; A time out is a halt in the play. This allows the coaches of either team to communicate with the team e.g. to determine the strategy or inspire morale as well as to stop the game clock

Why time out?

As related to life processes we’re all humans and not machines, as we journey through life processes, things don’t always go as planned. Life gets frustrating, certain challenges sets in, these could be school, health, family, trying to find purpose, etc.

Everyone needs a time out when things don’t go as planned, just as in sports; you’re the main player, coach and referee of your life.

How to have a time out:

From the definition above:

• Take water and rest: this implies to catching your breath, taking a break from what you’re going through, go on vacations, take a day off to love yourself, when things go hard first of all you need to give yourself an applause for having come thus far, you have done your best, you have put in efforts, though the outcome isn’t as you expected. You need to cut yourself some slack and appreciate yourself on how far you have come. Take a time to reflect, most times we strive for perfection that we fail to notice the little wins.
• As a student after a hectic day of 8-6pm, time for rest is needed to refresh and cool down because if you don’t, eventually you will crash. Eat well to regain energy also.
• Rest and water is needed to regain energy. This implies taking good care of yourself.
• Make substitutions and strategize: As we journey through life, we could have a hitch along the way or an obstacle. This could be: the person who needed to help you out with a certain work couldn’t, the company you applied for rejected you, you didn’t get an admission into your desired school, you failed in your exams, etc. After you have taken the rest, next thing to do is to think what the way forward is; how best you can make it work.
• In as much as we try to strategize, it is important to reflect back on why certain things didn’t work. Why didn’t I pass the exams? What didn’t I know? Don’t wallow in self-pity of your failures because it will only pull you down.
• Inspire Morale: after rest and strategy, you need to inspire yourself. Life isn’t easy, we get down and broken when things don’t work out, most times we believe what people say about us and the negative words sticks to us. We get depressed and discouraged, we lose focus and interest when things don’t go as planned and we lose hope.
• Find a sense of purpose: how best to do this is: encourage yourself, think deep, find words that inspire you till you become the best, build your confidence and spirit. When in our darkest phase of life our immediate families, some our teachers and friends can be a ray of sunshine and give us strength. Engage people that inspire / encourage you, look for words that encourage you. Put those words on your wall and speak to yourself till it becomes your identity.
• Words are powerful they can make or mar: The most powerful weapon is your TONGUE which is a reflection of your MIND.
• Quick test: a survey was carried out “ certain group of people were asked to write down how they feel and what they say to themselves when faced with challenges or when they fail at a certain thing , they wrote on the piece of paper “I’m a failure , I’m not good enough, I don’t have what it takes”. They were now asked to say those words to their sibling or close friends using third person pronoun, they refused saying, those words are harsh.Their tutor now told them it doesn’t sound right saying it to someone but they feel comfortable saying it to themselves and thus hurt their inner being by these harsh words. We can speak light and life to ourselves if we choose.
• As my role model do say: Your circumstances doesn’t define you, fall down seven times rise up eight times, make sure you pick yourself up one more time.

Next time when facing a detrimental situation, don’t quit or give up, just take a TIME OUT!!!

 

By: Rapha Yakubu Gana