When the advice columnist or cartoonist in the newspaper goes on vacation, they re-run some of their favorite entries while they are gone. Even though I may have read the content before, there has been such a gap since publication that it seems new — and enjoyable — again.
Never do I think: “oh, that lazy artist,” or “what a slacker she is” for taking a respite. Not only does it alleviate the incredible workload of generating new material for the time they are away, but having a break from continuous production is good for the creative soul — or so I’m told.
So, why do I have such hesitation about doing the same thing when I am away? Whether over a daily publication schedule, work ethic, weight, appearance, parenting skills, achievements, or financial status, it seems that we are always harder on ourselves than we are on others. We have personal angst over things that we don’t give a second thought to when someone else is involved.
But I’m taking the advice of a wise leadership dots writer (ha ha) and giving myself some grace. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be enlightened by entries from 2012 for a dozen days while the only dots I think about are the polka dots on my swimsuit. Go easy on yourself this summer, too.
Enjoy your break!