First, I want to apologize for so many book recommendations lately. I’ve been doing a bit of reading to assist me in my work and the ones I’ve found helpful I’ve wanted to share. I am not turning this blog into a huge commercial…but when I find useful items I definitely want to pass them on whether they’re books, websites, or services. I know I appreciate when someone shares something great with me.

As business owners, employees, family members, or just as humans in this world we all have struggles that we go through. This past year has been one of those struggles for me and my family. My dad, who I’m very close to, has been sick since October, 2006 with kidney failure. Ten days ago he and my sister went into the hospital where my sister had surgery to donate one of her kidneys to my dad. The surgery was a huge success and because of my virtual business I’ve been able to be here for the surgery and to help take care of the two of them (and my 3 1/2 year old nephew) as they recover.

During the time before surgery, when they were in the hospital and post surgery appointments so far I’ve made quite a few trips to San Francisco which isn’t too bad except that it’s 50 miles each way to the hospital and back which has given me a lot of time in the car to think. A portion of the drive was the exact drive I used to take to a corporate job I had about eight years ago that I really liked. This has caused me to look back on my career path and ponder the whole work thing. A question came to mind:

Do you Live to Work or Work to Live?

Does your life revolve around your work? Is your reason for getting up each day to do your job? Or is your job the means by which you are able to live your life?

I can’t say one way of living is better or worse than the other but are YOU satisfied with your situation? If you are living to work are you happy with that? Or are you using your work to escape from a life you’re not happy with? If you are working to live is it because you hate your job or is it because your life is where your focus is?

Personally I work to live. I’ve had times where that was because I wasn’t satisfied with my current job situation but that isn’t the case now. I LOVE my job and what I do for a living. I couldn’t ask for anything better. But, my business is the means by which I am able to live my life. It allows me to be there for my family. To visit friends. To be the best person I am.

I urge you to look at your life. Are you living to work or working to live? Are you happy with your answer and your situation? If so, GREAT! If not, is there something you can do to change that situation? Can you change your career path? Can you refocus your life goals? Are there professional or personal improvements you can make to make you happy with your situation?

I’d love to hear if you Live to Work or Work to Live and how you like it.

Till later…