It’s Labor Day weekend in the United States. Labor Day was created to honor the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well being of our country.

It’s a good time to consider why you work.

• Do you do something you love?
• Are you working for a cause you care deeply about?

I hope so on both counts!

No matter how much you love your work or how much you believe in your cause, it’s a pretty safe bet that you are also working to generate the income needed to support your life.

So how is that going for you?

Is your job supporting your life? …Or is your life supporting your job?

I’m asking because I know many people with a strong work ethic, that love what they do and have a deep desire to contribute to a greater good.  What they don’t realize is how easy it is to give so much to their jobs that they no longer have a life.

Once upon a time, I had a job that allowed me to do something that I loved, every single day. I knew that I was making a difference and I constantly received great feedback from my boss.  …All of which drove me to do more and more and more and more…

“ Titles, recognition, financial gain, authority, and toys can be a great rewards OR life altering temptations.

Before long, my life revolved around my work.

From the moment I woke up in the morning, until my head hit the pillow, in my dreams, and in the moments I woke up in the middle of the night to make notes or send emails… I talked about work, thought about work, lived at work, and loved work.

Admittedly – My husband was doing it too – so we were giving each other unspoken encouragement and permission to keep investing our time in our workplaces.

Without realizing it we gradually gave our hearts, our souls, our brains, and our health to our jobs.

Everything else: God, each other, our home, our family, our friends, our church, our community – all faded into the background as our lives literally existed to serve work.

Our decreasing energy and random health issues were some of the many caution lights that appeared along the way that we missed.

Eventually we earned that hard way that:

“ Investing EVERYTHING you have in one place is never wise.

Yes – Do quality work that you are proud of.

Yes – Be a great team player and to be willing to make occasional sacrifices to support the business that supports your life.

But never put “All of your eggs” in one basket!  

Want more on this topic?

You can’t run a successful business or lead a successful life without energy.  In spite of that fact –  technology, the economy, change, your health and personal choices add stress and decrease energy.  This book was written for real people that work, that have loved ones, that want to make a difference and have meaningful lives… But sometimes struggle with the pressure to lead, perform and inspire.  CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ENERGIZE YOUR LEADERSHIP.

Check out this recent post from Alli Polin:  7 Signs You’ve Lost Yourself as You Climb the Corporate Ladder

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