[Mahler]

Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 262 – Island Time

Island Time (06-22-09)

What do Key Lime Pie, Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake, Chocolate Caramel Mousse, and Carrot Cake all have in common? Simple. They are all inside of me. You see, last week I was on Island Time. Call it what you will. It might be vacation, time off, cheat days, holidays, but for me it was Island Time. It was marked by getting up a little later, getting to bed a lot later and filling the days with a variety of sweet nothings. Nothing to do, unless I wanted to do it. Nothing to see, unless I wanted to see it. Nothing to eat unless I wanted to eat it. Nothing to drink unless I wanted to drink it. The only problem is that I wanted to do, see, eat and drink it all. I wanted to take it all in and I pretty much succeeded as a step on the scale verified upon my return.

To tell the truth, it was marvelous to be able to throw all caution about diet and exercise out the window, if only for 10 days. We all need to step away from time to time and reward ourselves, live for the moment and say, “good job.” An eye opener, however, is the number of people I saw that appeared to have been on Island Time for the better part of their lives. Treating yourself should be a way to recognize the hard work you have done in the past and frankly, not a way of life. This is what makes such carefree days so satisfying. They are not the norm. I am a firm believer in the idea that you must earn your rewards and that they do not come cheaply.

I do have to admit that I am pretty anal about such things and did manage to get to the gym a few times as well as the jogging track, but the nice thing about it was that I didn’t have to do it. And that made me think about all the other times throughout the year when I find myself in the gym or on the treadmill or out running through the neighborhood. It made me wonder about all the weight I have lifted and all the miles I have logged. Why? Even when not on vacation, I didn’t have to do it. Hell, no one has to do it. So why bother?

I guess it’s because in a real sense, each of us is an island. Regardless of the sea of humanity that surrounds us, we have our own little worlds, which we fill with the things that we like to do, the things that we want to do, and the things that we have to do. It is in that mixture that we can progress and grow and it is our choices of likes, wants and musts that make us unique. Too many rewards with too little effort and we can become weak. Too much hard work with too little time off can make us successful, yet hard or bitter or even lonely. It is important that we make the right choices and strike the right balance of work and play, of effort and leisure. Work hard, but always make time for a little cheat now and again, or some well deserved time off. You are, indeed, your own little island and with a little creativity and common sense, you can be forever on Island Time.

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Copyright 2004-2009 John R. Gesselberty. Mahler's Monday Morning Motivators (MMMM) may not be copied or used without permission of the author. All rights reserved.

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Have a Great Week!

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