Determining The Need For An Intermission

I came across this quote the other day:

When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.

-Benjamin Franklin

I thought about the need for an intermission. When I sense something is missing (or amiss), it reminds me of the need to step back, replenish and then move forward more effectively. I started playing with the quote and came up with:

When ____________________, I know the worth of an intermission.

I entered phrases like:

• When my eyes have trouble focusing on the words on a computer screen
• When I get a "short fuse" with people around me (work and/or personal)
• When I don't have a creative thought left within me
• When I start thinking that no one is giving me a standing ovation
• When my lineup keeps getting longer and longer-and I haven't even gotten the first task completed
• When I have given away so much of myself to others that I have nothing left for myself

What are some of the indicators in your work or life that tell you it's time for an intermission?

Being The Best Ringmaster

I came across this quote during my "self ring time" the other day. It's from Helen Keller:
The best-educated human being is the one who understands most about the life in which he is placed.

I put a Juggling Elephants spin on it so that it reads, "The best-educated Ringmaster is the one who understands most about the circus in which he is placed." So often after someone reads Juggling Elephants or participates in one of our training programs they comment that "This was so much more than what I expected. I thought the program was just about time management or work-life balance, but I found myself looking deeper into all aspects of my work and life."

We believe that long term professional and personal improvement can only come when people take a comprehensive evaluation of all areas of their life-and then determine strategies to improve. That' not a one-time process. To best understand our situations, we must take regular, planned examinations of ourselves. The question to ask yourself today might be, "How much do I understand about my current life situation?" And if the answers aren't quickly forthcoming, it's time to do some digging.

Think Your Circus Has Had A Tough Lineup?

The next time you think your circus is not going so well, remember Tsutomu Yamaguchi. He was traveling on business to Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. While there he experienced the dropping of the first atomic bomb. He suffered severe burns and left the next day to go home... to Nagasaki.

Yes, that is correct. On August 9 he once again experienced the horror of an atomic blast. According to Japanese officials, he is the only person certified to have survived the two bombings. You can read more about Mr. Yamaguchi here.

So, as you are experiencing some bumps in your lineup this week, don't forget others have survived much worse-and lived to tell about it.

Message for 2009

Some people are still unaware that reality contains unparalleled beauties.

The fantastic and unexpected, the ever-changing and renewing is nowhere so exemplified as in real life itself.

-Berenice Abbott

As your hope is renewed at the beginning of this year, may each day find you seeking-and finding- the fantastic and unexpected.

Realizations During A One Ring Intermission

I had the opportunity to spend some time with an old friend today. He was just beaming! He was always a positive guy, but today he seemed even more enthusiastic than ever. A few minutes into the conversation, one of the reasons for his new found zeal became clear-he had been on an intermission with one of his rings.

In July his position at a company had been cut. Out of work since that time, he had engaged in more quality time with his family and took more time for himself. He said that he had been spending so much time on work that he just didn't realize what he had been missing in the other areas of his life. He said, "After my time off from work, I look at people differently. I see what was lacking and have taken steps to find more fulfillment." Wow!!! All that, and he still doesn't have a job!

With his "work ring intermission" now almost over, he plans to keep many of these "new acts" in his lineup even after he returns to a regular work schedule.

What would an intermission reveal to you?