You're Never too Old for a TIME OUT!!!

It appeared to be a normal day. A mother watched as her young son played in the yard. He was happy to be outside and she enjoyed the fresh air. Everything seemed calm, and it felt great to relax and enjoy the beautiful day. At that moment, her son began to play in a puddle of water in the yard, but it was not an ordinary puddle. He immediately began to sink. The mother rushed over and attempted to grab him, but she missed him. The second time she grabbed and pulled him out. The mother began to perform CPR. All of a sudden I woke up in a panic. I looked over at my son and he was sleeping peacefully. I grabbed my phone to look up the meaning of the dream. I had to decode the dream or get some insight. I quickly learned that drowning represented being overwhelmed. The child is a symbol of something that you value that is causing the feeling of being overwhelmed. Immediately, I knew that it was time to put myself in time out. I know it sounds crazy, but keep reading.

Imagine, at your present age, your mother, father, boss, or whomever telling you to go to timeout and stay there until you have learned your lesson. Will you stomp away to the corner like a 2 year old? Will you resist and be forced into the corner? Will you quietly go to the corner, and reflect on what you have done? Many of us may think that we are too old to be told to go to time out, but in reality sometimes we need a time out from all of life's troubles.

A timeout can come in different forms. It doesn't have to be sitting in a corner or sitting in a room alone. It can be a day of doing nothing, a hour of exercise or meditation, a lunch date with an old friend, or whatever will allow you to forget life's woes for a moment. I know the thought of a time out seems impossible for some, but it is very necessary. Trust me, I am very guilty of trying to use every minute of the day doing something other than having that time out. I try to be supermom, super-friend, super-employee, and super-student everyday. I wear many different capes every single day. But, Guess What? What will I have left for self when I get done being a superhero for everyone and every situation.

So, take time for yourself everyday. It doesn't matter if it's ten minutes. Give yourself that much needed time alone. I promise you fighting the villains and slaying dragons can wait. Whether you have to stomp to time out, be dragged to time out, or go peace peacefully, make it an everyday thing. You will find that time away from every day problems or tasks is so fulfilling. Now go to TIME OUT!