Everyone deserves some time off

In Europe, people look at the vacation time that Americans get (and accept!) and they scratch their heads! Its not unusual for an entry-level employee in the United States to have only ten days of vacation a year. I'd go as far as to say, as people move up in their business careers, it is almost a badge of honor not to have taken all your vacation days - It's as if we define our success by how much we work.

And it takes us a long time to realize that we have it all wrong. To take that time off is about recharging, finally taking the time to pursue our passions. That time off is a prize for all the hard work we do.
I have heard more times than I can count, "It's like Europe shuts down in August; if someone can take three weeks off for vacation, maybe their job is not that critical."

Really? Here is a thought. Maybe they have their priorities right. Maybe they will be a lot more productive having stepped off the rat race for a bit of time (and maybe they have a team that can take the reins for three weeks without the world falling apart!)

At the end of the day, none of us wants to be defined by the work we do, but we often forget that.

This time of the year is the holiday season for many of us. I for one, am going to take some time off. My blog and i will be back again, recharged, in the New Year.