Saturday Is Soccer Day

While trying to run a business and a home, like most of you, my days are filled with "have tos" and "need tos". This schedule is occasionally interrupted by doing favors for friends. The trouble is, this can make for a pretty hectic schedule. It leaves little or no time for the "want tos".

As a decision to do more "want tos", I recently agreed to help coach a soccer team. Coaching soccer is something I love to do. Ever since I was first drafted into taking a team (years ago), I have loved coaching the sport. There is something special about teaching skills and then watching the young players perform. There is great satisfaction when they actually get it.

Recently, a friend of mine was trying to "guilt" me into offering several days out of my schedule to help her with a move. (I had already dedicated several hours to this task.) Instead of just saying, "I dont have time", I launched into a laundry list of things I had to get done. As I ticked down the list, I said, "...and Saturday is soccer day". Her response to this was, "You do too much! You dont need to be coaching a soccer team". I can proudly say that only a part of the lecture that formed in my mind actually proceeded out of my mouth.

How often do we all run into this problem? Those who are on the outside looking in think they have the right to tell us what we should or should not be doing in our lives. Many (or most) times, the judgements of these people are based on how what we are doing affects THEM. In my friends case, I believe she thought I should have more time in my schedule to help her. In her viewpoint, soccer was the only insignificant thing in my schedule she could find to attack. I guess she figured that I would just run right out and quit coaching so I could help her with her move. Instead, she touched a nerve. I responded by reminding her that she would be very upset if anyone asked her to give up her crafts or gardening. I think I made my point without getting as belligerent as I might have liked.

Heres the point. As business and family life cause you to become busier, dont let anyone tell you what you should or should not make time to do. Spend time on your business. Spend time with your family. If your heart wants and needs to do something, do it. Stop allowing every hour of your life to be controlled by "have tos" and "need tos". Add a few "want tos" and dont let anyone tell you otherwise. Most important, dont judge anyone else if they tell you, "Saturday is soccer day".

Cathy Fothergill, copyright 2001

About the Author

Article by: Cathy Fothergill, Copyright 1998. More articles and resources for writers, webmasters and home business owners can be found at: connectionteam.com Need edification, information and motivation for yourself and your team? Subscribe to: You Plus Two! YouPlusTwo-subscribe@topica.com

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