I have this quote hanging up where I can see it every day, "At worst a house unkept cannot be so distressing as a life unlived." Rose Macaulay already had that figured out back in 1881. She was way ahead of her time!
Now seems like a great time to follow Rose's lead and really start living your life. If you can't remember the last time you really had fun, it's time to play hooky! The work can wait, skip the meeting, let the laundry pile up one more day, and take a break.
I have a friend who used to say he would never take a day off because he was sure the company couldn't function without him. He told everyone he was the guy holding up the sun. Well, it turns out after he finally took a long vacation the company miraculously went on without him. And the sun still managed to come up every single day he was gone.
I think a lot of us are convinced we are the ones "holding up the sun." Many of us are convinced that our job, our family, and our friends could never manage without us. Do you suffer from "holding up the sun" syndrome?
I was guilty of having this syndrome when my company was in the start up phase. I didn't dare take even an afternoon off for fear all of my hard work would unravel. Over time it became increasingly clear that a sleep deprived CEO wasn't actually doing anyone any good. I learned to delegate. I learned to take time off. I also earned that my company was much better for it. A CEO that is rested has more focus and creativity.
Your world - even your own company - will get along just fine without you for a few days, even weeks. In fact, I truly believe it will benefit from your absence. You have much more to give when you take some time off to recharge your batteries.
Women especially seem to have forgotten the being part of human being. We somehow bought into the human doing theory. It is easy to forget that we are multidimensional women, and we need to nurture all aspects of our lives. And that includes pleasure, restoration, and having fun!
You are the only one who can schedule down time for yourself.
Guest author Lisa Hammond is The Barefoot CEO, former CEO of Femail Creations. Since selling Femail Creations in 2010 Lisa's focus has been writing and living out her Life List. In addition to her inspirational blog, she has written Dream Big, Oil for Your Lamp and Oh, Thank Goodness It's Not Just Me!
When it comes to love, if you're a women over 40 then chances are this is "not your first rodeo" as my good friend and former Girlfriend We Gotta Talk radio show co-host Susie Galvez is fond of saying.
You may be single again or you may have never found one worth keeping in the first place. Regardless, if you're over 40 and out there dating, you know it's completely different than when you were younger. Some sanity-saving tips from the Dating Goddess can help.
On a previous Girlfriend We Gotta Talk radio show, Susie and I talked with the Dating Goddess, a midlife woman who, after her husband of 20 years surprised her with a divorce announcement at age 48, turned her search for her next mate into an adventure. She chronicled her lessons, insights, stories and advice in her popular blog called Adventures in Delicious Dating After 40.
Plus, based on her "hands on research" after dating over 91 men in three and a half years, she recently released a series of 13 books that cover topics every dating woman over the age of 40 needs to know, from getting started, qualifying a man before agreeing to meet, breaking up with grace, ironing out dating wrinkles, and sex! Her 10 tips for avoiding date duds is brilliant!
Why not take a few minutes to listen while you are doing something that doesn't take your full brain power, like mindless e-mail or sorting papers? Because dating over 40 isn't for the faint of heart but it also doesn't have to drive you crazy, either.
Less than a week away is February 14th, the day in the U.S. when we celebrate our special love. But, let's face it, many gals who are juggling a career, small children, teenagers, school, parents, friends, volunteering, keeping up a household, and so much more...are...simply...worn...out.
The exciting, tingling feeling of V-Day is just about gone. The thrill of a "throw down" is in our rear-view mirror. Though in our heart of hearts we really want it back.
How do go from "Honey, I'm too tired" to "Honey, I'm waiting"?
Her "5-T Plan" alone is worth a listen. And, we adored some of her oh-so-memorable advice to help you reclaim desire and reignite your relationship, such as:
"Communication is the bed-rock to makes your bed rock!"
"Ask your husband to engage in more chore-play."
"Men are microwaves and women are crock-pots." (or crack-pots, as we will hear we added!)
Why not take a few minutes to listen while you are doing something that doesn't take your full brain power, like mindless e-mail or sorting papers? Because even though you're tired doesn't mean you should miss out on one of life's greatest gifts.
Guest author 
You may be single again or you may have never found one worth keeping in the first place. Regardless, if you're over 40 and out there dating, you know it's completely different than when you were younger. Some sanity-saving tips from the Dating Goddess can help.
