Time OFF

Got a MSG from a coach who asked about taking 'time off' - Here is something I wrote years ago:

The idea that we need “time off”
Comes from working for another,
To fulfill another man's dream.
If your life is directed
Toward fulfilling your dream,
Why would you want to take
“Time off” from that?

Are you engaged in a job or a career? A job is something that you do to make some money so that you can maintain a certain standard of living. High School students bag at the food market, flip burgers at the fast food establishments, bus tables in restaurants to make a few bucks to buy some stuff.

Making a career out of, “Will that be paper, or plastic?” however, is not what anyone would visualize themselves doing ten or fifteen years down the road.

A career is what you do, not only for money, but there are a great deal of other “intangibles” that are involved such as: rewarding, satisfying, fulfilling, actualizing. James A. Michner paints a good picture saying, “The Master in the Art of Living simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him, he’s always doing both.” When you are in the active pursuit of making your dreams come true, why would you ever want to take time off from that?

People have been criticized as workaholics. Are they really workaholics or do they just love what they do? When you love what you do, are absolutely enthralled, so totally engrossed in the task at hand that you transcend time, how can that be considered work?

Is this totally transcended state of being a rare occurrence in our society? Not if we look at our children who become infatuated with the latest computer or arcade game. They can sit and play that game for hours and hours and never tire of it. Parents have a hard time understanding how their kids can spend so much time with the same game. It’s not too big a stretch to say that the same type of misunderstanding may exist when those people engaged in “work” view those who are on a career mission.

Many of us have to rekindle those feelings of youth when we were enthusiastic, dedicated, committed, and absolutely determined to succeed.

Determine what you want to be, do and have; summon up the courage to follow that dream and attack it with the freshness of youth.