Life is tough. And very often we feel disappointed, let down and beat up. Good things can and do happen, but life can throw you a curveball, then a breaker ball, then a drop pitch. You can come to terms with a bad situation only to find another one is hiding right behind it ready to latch on to your heart.

I am one week into a two-week vacation. Instead of daydreams and carefree moods, I feel anxious, tired, and unsettled. I have worked diligently for the last two months to take two weeks to disengage and recharge. Vacation should be all I ever wanted it to be.

The school year is here! How in the world did that happen? Every summer seems to go faster than the one before it.

The schools in my area are on spring break this week. I am working and, starting tonight, watching the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. When spring break begins, I feel a sense of relief and success. One reason is that I’ve made it two-thirds of the way through my son’s school year. Another reason is when there is a school break or a holiday, people are less anxious about their legal issues. I receive less e-mail and fewer phone calls which allows my day to feel more fluid and less disjointed.

What is holding you back from taking time for yourself? This time of year, preparation for the holidays can be the reason you don’t do things you enjoy. In all honesty, isn’t it like this all year long? A list of tasks and goals to be achieved for someone other than yourself. I’m not saying that you don’t benefit as well. There is usually a sense of satisfaction when you do something for someonse else and there is often a mutual benefit.

This is the time of year when decisions for healthy behavior is at extremes. At one end, I could be intentional about my health choices and reap the benefits. At the other end, I could ignore all sign pointing to healthy behavior and repeatedly hit snooze because it is cold and no one will notice.