PHOTO : RICK BELDEN
D . I . COLUMNIST The Real Deal with Tommy D ' Aprile
How many of you find it hard to take time out of your day and just chill ? Most of us , if we are honest , would say that we have too many things to do and just not enough time in the day . We make hasty choices , which in turn can affect our health , relationships and our life in so many ways . We rush around thinking we are getting ahead of everyone , but the truth is we are just stressing ourselves out for nothing . Have you ever been driving in traffic , passing that slowpoke driver only to have them catch up to you at the next stoplight ? That ’ s just an example of how rushing really gets us nowhere fast .
At the recent PDRA event in Hebron , Ohio , we all got a chance to either stress or chill . Let me explain . My team and I started the journey from Florida early on a Wednesday morning . We arrived at the track around 1:30 a . m . Thursday morning ready for the race . We got some rest and woke up later that morning and got ready to test . The weather was beautiful and we had a completely full day of testing and working hard . Friday morning came and we all got ready to qualify , but after only a couple of classes ran we were visited by a pretty heavy rainstorm . They dried the track and then another rain shower came in , then another .
I heard a lot of complaining and most people going crazy wondering what to do . I decided that I was going to relax . I watched a movie , ate , slept and repeated this throughout the day . Later in the day after Friday ’ s activities were postponed due to rain , I decided to just go and visit with people and enjoy fellowship . All I can tell you was that it was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable days I have had in a long time . Even though the rain came , I finally decided to enjoy it rather than complain about it .
The point I am trying to make here is that we seldom take time out of our day to just stop and smell the roses , as some would say . But what I have found is that if we never do , we may never have the chance to . I am learning that every day is a gift and we need to start enjoying them more . If you are waiting for everything to be perfect before you chill , there is a good chance you never will . I am a prime example of someone who lives life in the fast lane , but I am passing too many things up and need to make some changes , and I ’ m sure some of you do , too .
Well , after many more attempts at drying the track on Saturday , they finally cancelled the race . Unlike racing close to home , we now had an almost 20-hour trip back home , but this time instead of complaining about it I chose to take in all of the beautiful sights on the way : mountains , rivers , beautiful landscapes and even the ocean views as we came back into our home in Florida .
You see , I didn ’ t stress out about the rain , but allowed all the delays that weekend to examine where I need to place more importance in my life . We can all have more balance and enjoyment , but as always , the choice is yours to make .
Email Tommy at tommyd @ dragillustrated . com
September 2018
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