Do you need some time out?

by Tim Connor

24/7. Go Go Go. Rush Rush Rush. Never enough time to do it all. A plate full of things to do. Multitasking from morning till night. Not taking enough time for yourself and personal development, time out or building relationships? Sound familiar? Guilty? Not sure how you ended up in this rat race? Don’t know how to slow it down or end it? Not sure if it is even worth it given the sacrifices you have made or continue to make? I could go on but you have either stopped reading cause you think I just don’t get it or you are too busy to spend a few minutes on something that might help you or you are willing to take a breather and see if my few words might help you.

If you are still with me let me share three ideas with you – why so many people today seem to have so little time for what’s really important, the consequences of this attitude and what you can do to slow things down and enjoy the gift of each moment.

How did we get here

There are lots of reasons why we can’t slow down or stop; some are within us while many are outside of us. The inside ones are:

• low self-esteem and the need to prove we are worthy to others and the world,

• the need for perfection. Again trying to prove that due to a lack of self-love and self-acceptance that we are worthy of other’s appreciation or value,

• insecurity and the lack of faith in yourself, life or the future and

• the inability to turn off all of the negatives in your mind. Should’s and should not’s, past mistakes and the desire to not repeat them, a lack of self-love and self-appreciation for who you are and what you do and

• finally the inner need that if you're not busy you are not productive or worthwhile.

Most of these attitudes and mindsets were dumped into us and our minds over the years by others; some well meaning and many with agendas but in the end we accepted these and we have proof they were right based on our experience and success or lack of it.

What we have done is turn over the quality of our life and its present to circumstances, other people and their expectations of us. We have allowed these to rule our lives in one way or another. We have accepted the judgment of others and developed a mental victim mindset that keeps telling us, if we don’t keep at it we are a bad person in some way.

The outside ones are technology and progress and their relentless push to hook our need for immediate gratification and to expect others to respond to us when we have a need. We expect people to have their iPad or cell phone handy every minute of the day so they can respect us and answer our questions or immediately tell us what to do. In some cases, if our computer or IPad doesn’t respond in a fraction of a second we become annoyed and even angry.

I am not implying that progress and technology are bad in and of themselves - but I would ask you - are these contributing to your inner peace, happiness and feelings of contentment? Or are they creating more pressure with each passing day to speed up or even keep up?

What’s the price both short and long term

Life is about success, yes, but how you choose to define success will determine how you behave and respond to life’s circumstances. Life is more about our relationships – with ourselves, family, friends and even strangers – all those who cross our path. We want to achieve all that we can, but in the end, what we take with us can't be placed in a safety box or bank account.

Too many people sacrifice these in the name of success as they choose to define it:

• I need to make a difference in the world, I have a great idea and need to see it through to the end no matter the price,

• I was raised in a poor environment and I’m never going to go back to this environment again no matter what,

• I have something to prove to the world.

Yes, there are many other reasons but in the end I ask you – is the price in health, inner peace, happiness and your relationships worth the cost?

I will bet that if you are in your later years and you have paid a price for your early behaviors, you carry a few regrets around with you every day. If you are younger, you are most likely thinking – Tim, this is the world now as it is - just get with the program. I beg to differ. It’s the world we have chosen to let drive us according to its agendas. Just wait, if your life is not in balance, then one day you will discover that I was right. The price you will pay is too high.

What can you do to slow down and take a break now and then

I’ll leave you with a few questions as I don’t have the right to tell you how to live your life.

Are you happy? I mean really happy? Do you even know how to define happiness? Is your happiness grounded in money, success, fame, power, achievement or some other external factor?

Are you content with your life or is something missing? What is it? Can you buy it, travel to it or win it?

Do you wish your life was different in some way? How? Why? What’s holding you back from achieving it?

So what’s the answer? You’ve heard it a thousand times – stop and smell the roses while you still can. # #

(Editor's Note: Tim Connor is a member of MHSpeakerTrainer.org)

Tim Connor is the author of the best seller Soft Sell which has sold over 1,000,0000 copies; one of the top international sales books of all time. Since 1981, Tim has given over 4000 presentations in 23 countries on a variety of sales, management, leadership and business relationship topics. He has worked with some 200 factory built housing, log homes and supplier companies to boost their results. Tim is the new Business Development and Ads Sales Manager for MHMSM and MHProNews and the hot, new MHLivingNews.com. Tim's personal site is TimConnor.com. Call Tim for your business to business advertising, business to consumer ads, marketing, website and other management or business development needs. Tim can be reached at 704-895-1230 or his email address This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it