Don't Take Any Time For Yourself!

We live in a BUSY world, people! We do not live in an era where you can kick back and enjoy your life, or reap the rewards of your hard work over the years. There is too much to do! No matter what happens, keep your nose to the grindstone, keep charging forward with everything that you've got, and never, EVER, take any time for yourself!

There are many responsibilities that each of us has, and just to make sure that we have our priorities straight, let's go over some of the big ones:

• Your Job - You fill a position at work that couldn't possibly be filled by anyone else! The company that you work for was barely getting by before you came along, and it is very likely that they will collapse immediately if you don't drop everything and tend to every single situation that arises there.

Disregard the fact that work-related stress, commute time, and other job-related issues are the cause of countless emotional and physical problems in our society, and that you would be much happier if you backed off on your resolve to be "the best" at work. In fact, try working MORE hours each week!

• Your Family - You have a spouse or significant other, and responsibility for the children under your roof. Forget the fact that your spouse or significant other is perfectly capable of handling just as much responsibility as you are, and that you should be teaching the kids from DAY ONE to do as much as they possibly can for themselves.

If you don't take care of these people, who will? Heaven forbid they should actually have to lift a finger to help themselves, or they should have to deal with life's many issues without you there to coddle them and "make it all okay". Give up your own needs completely, and ask your family if there is MORE that you can do to make their life just a little bit easier!

• Housework - Oh, here is a good one! I once heard that if you got out of bed in the morning and didn't make that bed up nice and tight that the Bed Clothes Monster would get in there and gobble you up the next night while you were sleeping.

I also heard that - when left unchecked - Dust Bunnies can grow to the size of small predatory animals, and that your own cats, dogs, goldfish and parakeets would certainly meet an untimely demise if those pesky Dust Bunnies weren't eradicated AT LEAST once a week!

In fact, go ahead and hire a maid, but then follow the maid around to make sure the work gets done properly. Then you are spending more money, but still not saving yourself any time.

• Yard Work - Again, if you leave these types of tasks for too long without tending to them, it could be pure anarchy! The grass might grow 2 whole inches because you didn't mow it on Sunday, the dandelions would most certainly stage an organized revolt, and going one week without weeding your garden will spell disaster for everything that you are growing there.

Try cutting your lawn with a pair of scissors instead of a lawn mower. That way you will make sure the job is getting done right, and you can get face to face with those rebellious dandelions and let them know that YOU are in charge!

• Social Events - Everyone needs friends, right? You are no different, and you should feel 100% obligated to attend every single social event suggested by every person in your circle of influence. Whether it be a mixer with the people at work, drinks with your closest buddies at the local tavern, a wine and cheese picnic with the latest girl/guy you are courting, or a full-blown "run naked in the streets" party, you MUST attend!

After all, if you don't attend every single social event that comes across your calendar, you might be labeled as a person who actually has a life and a personality, and who doesn't have to spend all of their free time with other people. In fact, you might - GASP! - attract MORE people to your circle by such individualistic behavior!

So, the moral of the story - DON'T YOU DARE TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF! As you can see from the above examples, doing so will surely cause the sky to fall, reverse the laws of physics, and cause a huge rift in the space/time continuum - all because of you!

Trust me, you don't want that kind of madness on your conscious...