Work vs. Life

Do you ever get so involved in work you’re not sure it ends and if it does, where?  I get so wrapped up in my work sometimes that I take it home with me emotionally, and I stress over it, and I even sometimes dread coming in because I have internalized it so much. I keep telling myself that this is not the end. It is my current situation, it pays the bills, and it is teaching me so many valuable lessons, about work and life in general. The one thing I keep trying to tell myself is that it is just a job. This is not my life. This is not who I am (which actually spawns another thought, but I’ll save that for another time).

I went on vacation and for the first time in a couple of years, I didn’t take work with me. I didn’t check my emails (ok, I looked at the headings to make sure nothing BIG was happening, but I didn’t open a single one), I didn’t worry about anything happening here, and I didn’t really care what was waiting for me when I returned. I came back with a better perspective on what really matters. Work is important, don’t get me wrong, but there should be balance and I’m the only one that can make that balance work in my life. I want to focus on the things that really matter. To me, that is my family, spending time with them and making memories with them. It is attending to my church responsibilities and taking time to serve those around me, but also taking time to serve in the temple. I know that when I achieve this balance, my work will remain important to me, but it will no longer define me and I will be living more closely the life I've imagined.