15:55

 

In the year 1555, John Rogers is……wait, this isn’t about a year. 15:55 is the military way of saying, five minutes to four, but this is not about time, at least not in the way you’re thinking.

This is about how we use, or in this case, misuse time; ALL THE TIME.

A friend of mine and I were in a conversation recently and they told me they were having a bad day, so, I asked what happened. They said someone pissed them off the minute they walked into the office; now keep in mind, our conversation took place at 1:30 pm. 5 hours, from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm.

I asked my friend the duration of the interaction; their answer, 30 seconds.

Now unfortunately, this scenario is quite typical for us today. Someone does some thing to you, says some thing to you, or looks at you some way, and it ruins your whole day, even though the incident lasted only a few seconds.

In an effort to turn their day around, an idea popped into my head and I came up with the topic of today’s post; 15:55.
I told them, “remember this number, 15:55”, then I proceeded to explain the following:

24 hours in a day, and sticking to healthy living guidelines, you should get 8 hours of sleep; that leaves 16 hours.
Between breakfast, getting yourself, maybe kids, maybe spouse ready for work, traffic, work, then traffic again, then dinner, then bed, and of course, life falls somewhere in-between. That’s how our typical waking 16 hours are spent, with time allocation for each of the above varying from one individual to another.

So, 15:55.

Remember my friends’ issue from above; early in the morning someone or something pissed them off and they carried it for at least 5 hours.

15:55 attempts to correct this, as follows:

• A 30 second event pisses you off.
• You spend another 2 minutes cooling off; woosah, Namaste, or a quiet/internal expletive. Your choice.
• A further 2 minutes reflecting on the incident; was it really about you, was it your fault, is it even worth your time to dwell on or were they just being a bitch/sonovabitch; apply to relevant gender.
• The final 30 seconds; back to the bubbly or happy or grumpy or burnt out person you were 5 minutes ago before this unwanted disruption entered your day.

So, that’s it, 5 minutes. That’s how long you should let this “thing” affect your day, leaving you 15 hours and 55 minutes to continue with your regularly scheduled programming. This is important for so many reasons, not least of which is the fact that, while you dwell on it, put it in your bag or your pocket, take it home and take it out on your loved ones; the individual that supplied that “wonderful” gift, has already continued with their day; their life, with not a seconds thought about the chaos they have unleashed in yours.

You’re at home giving attitude and throwing shade, maybe disrupting your loved one’s evening routine by talking about what that bitch said this morning. Meanwhile, they’re at the movies, in the club, watching TV or well within their recommended 8 hours, with nary a concern about you, your life, or your job.

Bottom line, since you’re not worth their time, are they worth yours? Simple answer, they’re not.

So when next this merchant of chaos invades your space peddling their wares, think of the 15:55 rule and do like Taylor Swift said; “Shake it off”.

Too often we focus on the negative, and dismiss the positive, despite the fact that most times, the positives outnumber the negatives by far. Let’s make a concerted effort to change our mindset; our focus, and just leave the chaos and the negativity where it belongs; in the past.

So, the next time someone asks you “how you doin’?”, don’t say you’re having a bad day, instead, tell them, “Someone’s trying to ruin my day, but I ain’t gonna let them.” Then, continue as you always do; pretend you’re working until 5 pm, then get your ass to a movie or the park or the gym, or go get your 8 hours sleep, whatever your vice.

 

 

Thanks for indulging my ramblings. If you enjoyed my deliberations, be sure to check out my thriller novels The Martial Art and On Jamaica Government Service on various platforms. They’re available in eBook, Paperback and Hardcover, and Audiobooks coming soon.

However, if you’re having commitment issues, check out my FREE short story, The Martial Art Origins: Severance, available as a free download.

Keep Reading. Cheers.

Dane