TAKE 5 on Cinco de Mayo

  • Published
  • By Michelle Underwood
  • Hurlburt Field Violence Prevention Integrator
Many celebrate Mexican American heritage May 5 in what is fondly thought of as Cinco de Mayo, a vibrant celebration of Latin music, food, dance and more. I want to suggest that this Cinco de Mayo, we TAKE 5.

TAKE 5 is a formula that one can apply to many situations where a decision needs to be made. This is how the formula sounds, “How will what I decide to do affect me and those I love five minutes from now, five months from now, five years from now?” Sometimes the answer to the five minutes from now, or the five months from now wouldn’t necessarily result in changing the direction we are headed, but when applying the five years from now part of the formula to the situation, the urgency and direction of our decisions may change.

When we consider responding to an incident of interpersonal violence or responding to a concern we may have about how someone may be handling the stressors of life, the formula may change. Sometimes our assessment needs to happen fast! Now the formula would sound like this, “How does what I do in the next five seconds impact this situation? How will my decision affect me, and impact another human being five minutes, five months and five years from now?”

This Cinco de Mayo, TAKE 5 and redefine how you see this observance day. Practice incorporating the TAKE 5 formula into decision making and see its benefit. This May 5, celebrate having the knowledge, skills and resources, to not only help yourself make decisions that may have positive long standing affect, but also make decisions that help others who in five seconds or less, may need your help, allowing them to also have positive outcomes worthy of celebrating!