It's About YOUR Circus

A man who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself away.

-Charles Schwab

Ever have one of those days when you met everyone's needs except your own? Sure, there are days when your job, parental role or relationships may require you to focus on the needs of others. But continually neglecting your own physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and even financial needs is dangerous.

The next time you are feeling overwhelmed by trying to meet the needs of everyone else just remember-they are PART of your circus-they can't make up your entire performance.

Some Humor For Your Day

While listening to the radio, a report was given about the dangers of individuals stealing your password and getting to your sensitive information at financial and social online sites. They said, "the report indicated that if you had any of the following passwords, you were in danger of having others steal your information." They were:

• let me in
• qwerty
• abc123
• 12345
• password

Somtimes simple isn't always best.

Planning for A Summer "Intermission"

With the struggling economy and increased expectations in the workplace, I have found that several people I know are not taking a vacation from work this Summer. Even if they are, their plans often sound like a rushed retreat that will result in them being more tired and less motivated than when they left.

I found an intriguing article about the need to take a break from work:
Recession Fears Threaten Worker's Vacation Plans

The authors, Milo and Thuy Sindell, give the following fantastic rationale for taking time off from work: You are not helpful to the company and your coworkers when you are not operating at full capacity. Vacations help you to get rejuvenated to come back to work at full capacity.

They also give excellent tips on saving on the cost of a vacation and on insuring that work continues in the office while you are absent. Check it out before you check out this Summer!

Quote About Purpose

It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?

-Henry David Thoreau

When your circus seems out of control, ask yourself: "Do ALL these acts contribute to accomplishing my purpose-or have they been added to my lineup due to convenience, procrastination or simply the inability to say 'No?'"

The Ringmaster As A Parent

Kelly Ripa is a busy mom. While she is currently the co-host of the popular morning show, Live with Regis & Kelly, she has also pulled triple duty as a star on a soap opera and a sitcom. With that kind of schedule it would be easy to be overwhelmed, especially when you add the roles of mother and spouse.

How does she keep her wits about her as a parent? Here's one of her comments from a recent issue of WebMd Magazine:
Basically, it's my philosophy that doing the easy thing in the short term makes it harder for parents in the long run. Giving in when you want to say 'no' quiets things down momentarily, but you'll just have more of the same-and then some-down the road," says Ripa. "I'm big on letting my kids know exactly what to expect. I think children are consistency junkies; they need schedules and parameters, and it's up to us to provide them."

In other words, Be the ringmaster by acting with purpose and staying with the lineup you know will bring the desired results. Read the entire article at:
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/kelly-ripas-take-on-mothering