"Takin' Time Out"

Definition of Escape: 

Verb:  Break free from confinement or control

Synonyms:  Flee – run away- evade – get away – elude – avoid

It is the end of August in Texas and the heat of the summer and humidity is in full swing.  Funny as a kid I never really paid attention to the temperature.  I couldn’t wait to get outside and enjoy my adventures and next ESCAPE.  I lived in the country in southeast Colorado on a ranch, my Grandpa Jack loved the farming aspect and my Dad’s pure passion were the animals.  We had Hereford cattle, Quarter horses, a dog and quite a few chickens.  Life was great as a kid and I have fond memories and deep country roots even though I live in the BIG City now!

 Call me crazy but there was always something to do on the ranch, from looking for snakes in the rafters of the barn, to killing little innocent mice in the grain bins with a hoe, shooting birds or rabbits with my BB gun.  Riding my go cart as fast as I could down the dirt roads or chasing and racing my cousin, Rob on his mini bike.  One of the most memorable summers was when an old mother cat moved in with a litter of 7 kittens.  She had one little black and white kitten, I named Sylvester, she despised him for some reason (he did seem to meow allot louder and more often than the others).  She would move the litter quite often and always leave Sylvester behind.  I would look and look until I found them and bring Sylvester back to reunite with his brothers and sisters.  Mamma Cat did this several times and I loved the game of hide and seek.

I still find myself yearning for the simple games in life and little escapes throughout the day or week whether it is, sipping on a great cup of hot mint tea at the dawning of a new day, listening to my favorite radio station or podcast on the way to work, taking an hour at lunch to find a quiet spot to eat or sit in the park and watch the nature around me come to life!  How often do you truly take time to ESCAPE (takin timeout) and enjoy God’s beautiful creation and find the goodness life has to offer?  You know Jesus had a tendency to Escape one scripture that comes to mind is found in Matthew 14:23 “After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself (he escaped) to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.” (NASV) 

I challenge you this week to start carving a time out whether it is a little bit each day or a little longer period throughout the week.  ESCAPE to someplace that speaks to your soul, to sit quietly, listen and breathe.  How often these days do you really take a deep inhale not a shallow breath but one that comes deep from the belly, let your belly swell up hold it and exhale slowly.  Wait a minute…STOP what you are doing right now and let’s do it together. BREATHE IN SLOWLY 2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10 HOLD IT 2.3.4.5.6.7.8 and EXHALE 2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10! WOW try it one more time … how does it feel?  AMAZING I hope, it brings clarity to your mind, calmness to your nerves, I always feel a bit more centered.  It gives my body more oxygen and now that I am in the Halftime of life I really need it. LOL

During one of our coaching conference calls with Michele, I was on the phone in a parking lot in the middle of Dallas with lots of trees and I looked up in amazement there was the most beautiful red headed woodpecker on the tall pine tree…I could have reached out my window and touched it he was that close.  Beautiful, absolutely beautiful!  Michele quickly said can you hang on wait just a minute…a few seconds she returned and read me an Indian Bird Totem of what the woodpecker means, it was so profound I have to share with you, it still gives me goose bumps as I am typing this:

·         “A woodpecker teaches us how to connect with the earth and how to ground ourselves in nature, shows rhythm, fertility, earth’s heartbeat, increase of mental/physical activities the beat of life.  Aids in the ability to find a deeper meaning and hidden qualities of patterns and coincidences.  Are you drumming and creating your own beat?  Woodpecker will show you to accomplish this safely by awakening new mental faculties he teaches to balance the spiritual and mental aspects with the physical world of harmony.  Woodpecker shows tenacity, patience and a straight forward action to accomplish this.  Listen carefully…the drumming sound peck – peck – peck of a woodpecker!  Can you hear it???”

God showed up right there in the presence of the big city, asphalt parking lot during my little time of ESCAPE.   Simply amazing!

ESCAPE…Ford Motor Company even thought it to be a great word they named one of their SUV’s after it. LOL…

I hope you will find time real soon to Escape, breathe…and truly enjoy takin your time out!

 I Hope Happiness abides until the next time…………………..

 

Quote: 

“Music is a great natural high and a great natural escape.” – Shania Twain

“I believe one has to escape oneself to discover oneself.” – Rabih Alameddine

Many of you may be wondering what’s up with this title?  I wrestled with several names trying to find a real catchy phrase but decided it needed to be a “T” to go with my name (Tonya) so Timeout was born mainly because I feel everyone no matter what age needs a timeout, a time to rest…reflect…catch our breath.  Especially women as they are always so busy and multi-tasking, children need it when they are naughty, men call it “veggin” but bottom line everyone requires a timeout!  Tidbits came to mind because I love little nuggets of gold in quotes, verses, phrases nothing long just a short simple reflection.  Tales because my life is never boring and I have stories to share.  Travel brings the love of adventure and so many things to see and do and I couldn’t leave out Tea because I absolutely LOVE my HOT TEA, summer, winter, spring and fall I carry a mug wherever I go and tea bags in my purse.  So there you have it!  I hope you enjoy my blog as I have so much passion waiting to be unleashed and shared with each of you…

It’s been about a year ago, shortly after my second daughter got married and moved out, I realized I am at the Halftime in my life!  WOW, my life is half over!  (I know many of you may be thinking you don’t know when the good Lord will call you home or he returns to this earth so how in the world can you say that?)  But let’s say I live to be 100, I am not called home early and he doesn’t return to this earth for another??? Years then yes I have lived over half my life…how can that be a where does time go?  The next question pops into my head, how do I want to live the next half?

I started reflecting on where I am, where I have been and where I really want to go.  Call it a midlife crisis, deep thinking or sentimental ole me…but I determined very quickly I wanted this next halftime to really count!  Live, Laugh, Love, and Leave a Legacy.  I definitely want to enjoy the journey, breathe in the fresh air, be more aware of my surroundings, the people I encounter and the memories I am making. Wow what a difference these small little changes have made just in the past 6 months.  I quickly discovered I have a burning desire to go to the next level, a passion and dreams to fulfill.  Who could help me unleash that burning desire in me to make more of my life count?

Throughout the years,  I have had some counseling sessions and they always want to dig up your past, your childhood and determine why you are the way you are, to be honest I feel like I had the perfect childhood, perfect family (realizing now as an adult maybe not so perfect but don’t burst my bubble) and that isn’t the issue…all of this can be good to help you work through certain issues and I highly encourage anyone to seek wise counsel but the bottom line is God created me to be me.  Psalm 139:13-14 “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my (precious) mother’s womb.”  “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful and I know that full well.”

With that said, I knew I wanted more…and Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open.” for the past few years I have chosen a word to work on for the entire year, last year the word was GRATITUDE, it is amazing how God works,  I spend my quiet time each morning  with lots of prayer, reading, journaling, thinking of things I am grateful for and yes sipping on a delicious cup of hot tea.  During this particular timeout, I made a unique discovery through a simple but powerful book “Alphatudes!”  (Rhythms with Gratitude).  It was written by a fabulous Life Coach & Author. Guess what she lives right here in Dallas Texas, not that where she lives should make a difference but to me it was a connection.

When you think of coaching your first thought might be someone who is an athletic coach or vocal coach (I know I wasn’t very athletic nor could I carry a tune) but what truly is a Life Coach?   Let me define it in a simple term:  helping discover and maximize a person’s potential.  Well I gave her a call and she agreed to take me on as a client.  She gave me an assessment, a test and yes she nailed it on the head, helping me discover more of how God wired me to play upon my strengths and quit worrying about my weaknesses.  Possibilities that was my new word not so much about the Goals but Possibilities…let me define this word from Webster, “One’s utmost power, capacity or ability.  Potential or prospective value”, I wanted to expand my potential and maximize my ability. WOW, thank you Lord this is my answer and she has been incredible.

I will be sharing more of our discoveries so for now, as I am sipping on my Hot Zen Green Tea, I am hoping you will join me on this journey through my next Halftime in life!  Blessings to each of you until next time…

 

Tidbit Quotes:

“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.”  Leonardo Da Vinci”

While you’ll feel compelled to charge forward it’s often a gentle step back that will reveal to you where you and what you truly seek!”  Rasheed Ogunlaru