I have been sick for almost two weeks. No fun! Some combination of cold and flu and sinus infection – or as one of my friends called it “The Goinga Round Bug”. (Thank you Randy!) Whatever the source, it has slowed me down considerably. Not such a bad thing I guess, but frustrating at times. I am used to maintaining a fairly frenetic pace and so adjusting to this longer-term recovery has been challenging. I not only appreciate my health more at the moment. I also appreciate what having good health allows me to do – which is work for longer periods at a quicker pace.

They say that when you are starting a new business, you are supposed to work long hours and do whatever is necessary to make it happen. For example, I was watching the new Tony Robbins television program on Tuesday night “Breakthroughs with Tony Robbins”. Last week it was about a family that had lost their source of income and their savings. They were on the verge of losing their house when Tony Robbins took them through a 30-day process to help them change their lives.

At one point in the program, Tony arranged a trial employment with a successful business for the husband. The message was that to succeed, he had to work like crazy, do whatever it took, to get the job done. The husband did what it took and got the job. The wife went back to work as well. The program never addressed what happened to their small children, or who took care of them while their parents were working.

While I’m glad that family saved their home, I felt somewhat disappointed by that outcome. I’m not saying that people shouldn’t work hard (and well) at their jobs, or that you don’t have to put a lot of effort into getting something started and going well. But does the only way to keep a roof over your head really require you to work 24-7 week after week, month after month at the cost of time spent with your family and/or maintaining your health? I hope not!

The long-term effect of that kind of stress on people’s health is disastrous! People respond to stress differently, but some physical illnesses commonly related to excessive, long-term stress include irritable bowel syndrome, heart attack and high blood pressure, ulcers, insomnia and chronic fatigue, and obesity. Because stress weakens the immune system, people get sick more often and more severely.

So while many of us have to work harder right now to make ends meet, my hope is that we can all find some balance somewhere in this process. I hope we can all find moments of relief and periods of relaxation to help us stay healthy and happy, positive and productive, as we go about our lives. I hope we have days that aren’t always and only about work, but that there are moments of joy in every day for every one of us. Today I am joyful about feeling better. What about you? Enjoy!