A Day of Rest!
09/02/02
As we celebrate an extended Labor Day Holiday here in the states, it is important that we not take for granted the importance of rest in remaining productive. Rabbi Professor Jonathan Sacks talks about the importance of religion in securing a day of rest: "Rest is the secret of survival, and the Sabbath is its greatest embodiment. The ancient Greeks did not understand the Sabbath. They thought that Jews ceased to work one day in seven because they were lazy. They were quite wrong. The Sabbath is 're-creation,' time dedicated to all those things that sustain a market economy but are endangered by it-family, community, celebration, prayer, study and reflection. In a society that honors the Sabbath, people become the masters, not the slaves, of work. A society without a Sabbath is one in which we can be too busy making a living to have time to live. The first great principle of time management is to distinguish between the urgent and the important. The Sabbath is time dedicated to the things that are important to be urgent-spending time with one's spouse and children, sharing a meal, enjoying what we have instead of thinking what we do not have, and giving thanks to God for his blessings in the company of those with whom we share a faith. Human freedom is expressed as much in the ability to stop as in the ability to work."
I hope you are experiencing that day of rest you deserve and that, as you return to work to gear up for the Fall, that rest has enlivened and refreshed you. Working and living with passion make both work well. Not only do you deserve time to make the ride worthwhile, time off often allows innovative ideas to percolate and can encourage visionary course corrections brought on by time to think about long-term plans with those you love. I hope you enjoyed the celebrations and the rest, because now you have to dig out from under all the paperwork and e-mails that have piled up because you took all that time off. But then, that is what life is about. Just never let the things that matter most--rest, relationships and results--be at the mercy of the things that matter least. This week, enjoy making a difference in each of those areas one choice at a time.
MONDAY'S MIRTHFUL MOMENT
You liked the quotes from Andy Rooney last week. For today's mirthful moment, Loren Ekroth let's go back further for some classic lines from Groucho Marx. Enjoy:
"From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend on reading it."
"I sent the club a wire stating, PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT ME AS A MEMBER."
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception."
"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."
When you keep your eyes open for mirth, you just may find it! Hope this kicks off your morning and helps get your mood adjusted for the week. Now, get busy MAKING CHANGE WORK and have some fun along the way!...