When was the last time you strategically planned a pause that refreshes? I’m not necessarily talking about a trip or vacation. We all know we can pack every travel moment so full of activity that we return home exhausted. I’m talking about a pause that includes white space on your calendar. Time to think, dawdle, and rest. The fact is, a strong work ethic is part of my heritage and identity. I grew up with the belief system that you need to earn your own way. Get your work done every day and don’t complain. Show up early,  stay late – do whatever it takes. Working a lot, in my mind, has always carried with it a badge of honor. So was not taking any sick days. A mental health day? What’s that? I now realize how self-destructive this attitude can be. Life is far too short to spend all of it at work, even if you love what you do. Taking time for yourself is not selfish. Being kind to yourself is not being self-centered. Creating boundaries to protect your time and energy is critical. Add to that the fact that palliative nurses report that they don’t hear death bed wishes of people saying, “If only I had worked more.”Join me for an episode that addresses:  Do We Need More Time Off To Be On At Work? How Vacations Benefit ProductivityTwo Reasons to Stop and CelebrateFour Ways to Strengthen Your Heart I'm taking a purposeful pause from this podcast this summer. I will be back in August. During this time,  I want to offer you an audio gift. As a podcast listener, you can access the  exclusive audio version of my book, Win from Within: The Heart of Success and Significance Simply visit http://beverlyspeaks.com/freebook/Please direct questions, comments, or feedback to [email protected] . Thank you for listening. Your presence here means a lot to me. Have a beautiful summer... the best is yet to come!