Does Work/Life Balance Really Exist?

If you look at almost any issue of nationally published women's magazines, you'll find article upon article trying to convince the American public (and American women) that you can have it all -- a brilliant career/business and a marvelous family life -- and then follow with instructions on how you can accomplish this easily.
I am just not buying into this train of thought. In order for most successful business people to get where they want to be in their businesses, something has to go. For me, it's been a personal life. As a single woman of 40 with no children and no significant other on the horizon, I've got much more flexibility than most. I can make a conscious decision to forego some aspect of my life on a shorter-term basis to reach my goals. Most of us aren't quite that lucky, however. You have children you have to get dressed and to school each day, or a spouse who needs more attention than just daily feeding and watering, or an elderly family member whose health might be failing. leaving you with caretaking responsibilities.
What we all need is a really great wife. Now, before all the women seek to lynch me, think about it for a moment. Wouldn't it be great to have a June Cleaver at home taking care of the children and all the household responsibilities, which would leave you with the freedom to do what you needed to do to get your business where it needs to be? No more worries about getting the kids to soccer practice or packing for that trip to Baltimore or having to come home and fix dinner after a very long day at work? Great fantasy, isn't it?
So, given the reality that the "wife store" is permanently out of stock, how do today's business owners still achieve the objectives of their business without ending up in divorce court or having an emotional meltdown? I've discovered the hard way that being selfish is the key. Yep, that good ole' selfish word -- the word our mothers have led us to believe was associated with being uncaring and unfeeling of others. For me, that translates into weekends that I spend alone engaged in activities that I enjoy. Sure, it's difficult to turn off business, and it can be a challenge to turn down invitations with friends, and some weekends I'm more successful than others. But as a card-carrying INFP on the Myers-Briggs scale, I know that I can tolerate only so much of being around other people at networking events, meetings, classes, and etc., and I have to recharge and get grounded again in order to get up and do it again on Monday morning. So, I spend my weekends going to festivals, the museum, a great movie, out to eat at a favorite restaurant, or reading a new book.
I will guarantee you that if you are not getting your needs met and engaging in active self-care, you won't be pleasant to be around. I've been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, and moved on. Do yourself and your family a favor -- figure out what self-care means to you and strategize with your spouse or significant other about how you can achieve that without unduly burdening other family members. It's all about taking care of you--if you're not willing to do that, who will?

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By Donna Gunter

Copyright 2006 Donna Gunter
Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps self-employed professionals make more profit in less time online. To sign up for more FREE tips like these and claim your FREE ebook, TurboCharge Your Productivity: 50 + Tools To Help You Automate Your Business and Make More Profit in Less Time Online!, visit her site at http://www.OnlineBizCoachingCompany.com

A Woman Isn't

Calling a woman “hey, chick, wassup?” doesn’t get her upset, just make her feel really, but really strange. Something that looks like an… well… object. Yes, object!?! What’s so difficult to understand? A woman is not an animal: a chick, a deer, a foxie. God, and neither a simple word as: a bit, a hottie, a mommy. She’s not your mommy.
Anyway, it seems that these last months - so often - I found a lot of topics, different articles on the Internet about women’s desire. Is it so hard to figure it out? We don’t think so. We, as women, of course. What all should remember and know is that a woman will ALWAYS want what she doesn’t have. That’s simple. If you learn this law and you’ll never forget it, you might have any woman you desire.
Is she short? She wants to be tall. Is she brown? She wants to be blond . Does she has green eyes? She wants black eyes. Is her boyfriend always thinking? She doesn’t want her boyfriend to think. Is she engaged? She wants to be married. Is she married? She only wants to be engaged. And so on… that’s such a simple theory. Just remember it every time when you see the woman you like or the woman that you would like to have.
What’s the point of this article? It is made by a woman, that has so much to say about men and life, that an A4 page would be nothing comparing to her life. It is an article for men. For all these types of men: shy, happy, optimistic, hot, ugly… it doesn’t matter. All the men has the same base. They are built on the same base…just with different ‘rocks’. That’s all that makes a man different. His ‘rocks’. That was all folks.
Just a person that has a lot to say. :)

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By Chersin Catalina Ana