Time Out!

Do you remember giving time-outs to your children or having them given to you? As I remember them, they seemed to be punishment rather than a respite from the craziness of life. Maybe that’s why so many of us have such a difficulty with our time-outs. Let’s re-contextualize them so we can embrace and use them instead of reject and refuse them. When taking a time-out we are training ourselves to be comfortable with alone time which is essential for creativity.

Another benefit is discovering the ongoing chatter of our ‘monkey mind‘ and how it keeps us in chaos and reactivity. In alone-time, we come to be self-observing and Self-Remembering. That is, we observe all the egoic dramas of our false self and reconnect with our True Self, the Source and Essence of who we truly are. Time-outs give us space for grace which is a pause to collect ourselves, extricate ourselves from others‘ agendas and become a new creation.

As you take your ongoing ‘time-outs‘, notice how often your ‘Critic‘ dominates you. Notice how you pull back when you could move forward. Observe your ‘Critic’s‘ grumblings and judgements. Use them as positive signposts for clarity, realignment and new beginnings with yourself and others. Instead of contracting; expand, open to new possibilities, heartfelt appreciation and encouragement. Move to a ‘receptive mode‘ and accept what is in a new way.

Does this sound possible or impossible to you? If it seems impossible, take a time-out right now and gently ask your True Self: “What is this moment asking of me?” What is the response from the emptiness inside the ‘clay pot‘ that is you? Can you get through all the chatter of your monkey mind to the still small voice within that’s connected to your Truth? Stay with it. Breathe and slow way down. Sigh, let your shoulders drop. Take another slow deep relaxing breath.

Clear your mind of all the clutter and chatter. Simply rest here. Allow the time-out to take you in and silently say Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, or if you’re into romance languages you could us the Spanish Gracias, Gracias, Gracias or the French Merci, Merci, Merci, or the Latin Gratia, Gratia, Gratia. Feel your energy drop into your heart and calm your respiratory and circulatory systems. Don’t hurry up and wait. Just wait, relax, rest,  release, realign, renew . . .

When you shift from ‘Critic‘ and ‘Driver’ to  Observer‘ and  ‘Expander’ in your time-outs, change doesn’t throw you out of balance. You learn the path of optimism and reconciliation. You move forward with encouragement and empowerment. You observe and let go your negative filters. You train your many selves to cooperate with the highest aspirations of your True Self. Transformation takes place in the moment and over time. You move out of fear and resistance.

If this all sounds like a bunch of gibberish, take another time-out and sit deeply with the exercise repeatedly. Joseph Campbell said: “You’ve got to find the force inside you.” Albert Einstein said “Out of clutter, find simplicity.” Yeshua said, “The Kingdom/Queendom/Realm of God is within you.” The Tao says: “Remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself.” It’s time to come Home, Listen, Follow, and Co-Create. Practice time-outs everyday and discover the inner calm that is the cradle of power. Thank You. Gracias. Merci, Gratia. In Spiritus. Ahh . . .