It'll Be OK! Published Articles

Escape Route

by Rick Hagler

Back in my daily commutes to and from the office can be quite a challenge. The traffic is completely unpredictable, as are my fellow commuters. Some go way too fast, some go way to slow and a scant few go just the right speed. The unpredictability of the drive can have a tendency to spoil even the most tempered soul. How can so many people be so inconsiderate of someone else’s space or right of way? Are you one of those? Am I one of those?

I’m certain we are all guilty, from time to time, of being in too big of a hurry or lacking in consideration of others during our day.

We’re all going to get there, with any luck, at about the same time. However, the difference is, will we arrive in anger, or in tranquility? We do have choices. I have several “escape routes” along the way that will get me where I want to go and help me avoid some of the maddening crowds of traffic and flaring tempers. I try to look ahead and make every effort to avoid road blocks and traffic jams along my route. It may take me just a little longer and I may use a little more fuel, but if it saves my sanity and calms my soul, then that’s a compromise I’m willing to make.

It doesn’t always work, but at least I make an effort to minimize the stress and obvious pressures that the daily commute can inflict on me.

So I was thinking – why don’t we apply the “escape route” technique to our daily lives. Why don’t we have our personal “escape routes” mapped out for those obvious happiness killer situations? Make ever effort to avoid situations that you know are going to irritate or anger you, and when you do find yourself in a stressful situation, know that there is a way out – an “escape route.”

Sometimes in an effort to avoid one stressful situation, I find myself in another one of equal or greater stress. However, I have come to find that the more I try, the better I get at making the right escape decisions. Anything I can do to enhance my chances of a stress free day is a chance I’m willing to take.

Don’t allow someone else dictate how you’re going to feel at any point in time in your life. That’s your right, not someone else’s. Don’t let someone else ruin you day or your happiness. No one can make you happy or sad, that’s a choice you make on your own. Choose to be happy, always. Once you map out these personal “escape routes” you’ll find yourself tolerating life’s challenges with less stress and confrontation and with the peace of mind that you have an escape plan available to you.

Analyze the situation, take a deep breath, do a quick mental “escape route” run down in your mind, and then execute.

You may not have built the roads you travel in life, but you can certainly choose which ones to take. When life gets too stressful and you feel like your losing control, take a detour, if only for a short while. Never give up, just replenish you soul and get back in the game of life. Even with all of its challenges – life is wonderful – when you have a few “escape routes.”

We Don't Need More Time in Our Life,

We Need More Life in Our Time

by Rick Hagler

We've all heard the saying "It's about time" countless number of times and in every possible scenario. Here are just a few that come to mind immediately. I'm certain you have many others that you use regularly, or have heard, as well....

"It's about time they called" - "It's about time he said he was sorry" - "It's about time they put it on sale" - "It's about time I got a raise" - "It's about time they finished the house" - "It's about time they mowed their lawn" - "It's about time they came out with that" - "It's about time they got here" - "It's about time he completed a pass" - "It's about time he passed his test" - and on and on, and on.

"IT", no matter what "IT" is, always seems to be about "TIME".

Everything we do revolves around the proverbial ticking of the clock and the passing of time. Seconds turn into minutes, minutes into hours, hours into days and time just slips away. Good usage of our time is critical to the quality of our lives. We have all the time there is, until it stops. Then when it does, we had all the time there was. No more, no less, we all have exactly the same amount of time in a minute, a day, an hour, a week, a month. It's what we do with our time that is critical to what we achieve in our lives.

Just as one good deed, or one act of compassion, can change a person or an event, one word can dramatically change the context of a sentence, or the meaning of a worn out phrase. So, let's take a look at the......"It's About Time"... phrase. This is a phrase that we have always added something to the end of. However, look what happens when I put just one word at the beginning. I think you'll have a new perspective and concept of the importance of time, I did.

"Life, it's about time."

Forget about how much time we have in our life; think about how much life we put in our time. Sort of changes the meaning of both time and life, doesn't it?

Now, all of a sudden, it comes down to getting the most out of the life we have in our time, and not so much as to, the time we have left in our lives. So, use your life's time wisely, enjoy your family and friends, don't worry about the things you can't control, hug a child, hug an adult, hug yourself, make a new friend, forgive an enemy, absorb every moment of life, don't let it pass you by.

Don't listen to the ticking of the clock - instead - enjoy every beat of your heart. They are precious, but they are limited. Don't wait until you have "time" to enjoy your life, enjoy your life in the time you have, right now.

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