I love to work and I have to really program myself to relax and take a vacation. However, we cannot deny the fact that our lives are dualistic and we must treat each side of “the tao” if you will. In other words, if you put in a good and productive week, you should spend at least one day without working.

If you work for a whole year, you should put aside at least two weeks to relax and take a vacation. Why am I saying this? It is because when I first graduated from college, I worked more than sixty (60) hours a week between two different jobs. By day, I worked as a word processing specialist (in Boston) and by night and over the weekend worked as a bartender. However, after two years of this kind of lifestyle, I started to get repeated colds and got sick frequently. So, I eventually dropped the bartending and stayed with computers. During those two years (1989 through 1991) I experienced what it was like to burn the candle at both ends. At the beginning, there was a total adrenalin rush, but when holidays rolled around or as the summer rolled around, I realized that I had no life and that I was only a super-working-geek. It was no way to live, no matter the paycheck.

I wish for all of you who subscribe to this blog or who are just surfing the blog much better. I wish you a balance between work and your personal life. Take time to enjoy things that can nicely compliment your work: friends, family, music, theater, travel, continuing education classes, arts and crafts, sports, games, books, movies, good food and conversation, just to mention a few. Please, get a life because if you only focus on your work, one day as you step out of your workstation or usual work location, you will say to yourself “wow, so much work, and it is as though I am without any kind of outside life.” Again, facing something like this can indeed be avoided.

For example, many times when I get home after work, I practice my guitar. Many times, my girlfriend and I go for a nice brisk walk. There are many things to do that can nicely compliment your busy week and total dedication to your job and career. It is well worth it. Why? When you finally return from your personal activities, you will feel refreshed and will have new energy for your work. You will return with new insights into things perhaps you delayed over the past weeks or months. This is the magic of enjoying life a bit and creating a balance between work and personal activities.

If you are curious about the image of the beach above, it is from the beautiful coast of Cancun, Mexico, one of my very favorite vacation getaways of all times.