The day-to-day grind…

Waking up the same 6:30 every morning.

Walking to get your cup of coffee in the kitchen.

Watching the morning news.

Making sure the kids are up and ready for school.

Getting your lunch ready, eating breakfast, and starting the day…

The drive to work… will there be traffic? Will there not be traffic?

Dealing with life stuff all day long and dealing with work stuff all day long…

Does the client show up, do they renew?

Does the client bring in the money that they’re supposed to?

Is the marketing up to speed?

Will you be able to leave work early enough to catch the exercise class you want to go to, or to get to the gym in time before you absolutely burn out?

Will you have enough time with the kids at night?

Will you have enough time to connect with your significant other? Connect with yourself?

Because remember, somewhere in that day, you’re going to need to connect with yourself.

You’re going to need to recharge your own batteries, because all day long, every single day, we just go around like the ever-ready bunny, consistently going, driving, sitting in traffic, dealing with other people, getting back to people at stop lights, multi-tasking, texting, checking social media.

And we forget, as Americans, to take a break. Because the United States really is the most messed up society when it comes down to vacations. Most people don’t even take two weeks, let alone, let alone two days.

The guilt that people have just taking a weekend away from the children, work, life, is hard enough to deal with.

But imagine even just taking a week off and being kidless, being free, being able to enjoy your life.

But, that’s the American Way. We need to parent 52 weeks a year, we need to be on top of our kids 52 weeks a year, we need to constantly have our children, our jobs, everything around us 52 weeks a year, and we never take vacations.

When we take them, we take them with the kids, which isn’t even much of a vacation if you ask me.

But in America, that’s what we do.

My European clients are always different than my American clients. They go on vacations both with children and without children. They spend quality time alone and quality time with their kids. They don’t overeat like Americans, they don’t over indulge like Americans, they don’t overwork like Americans.

And yet, they seem to do well financially and they seem to do well emotionally.

See, I’m always about vacation. I used to do two months a year of vacation. I used to do six weeks of beach time a year. Why? Because it makes me a better person in all aspects of my life.

Do I miss my little, beautiful daughter when I’m away from her? Yes, I do.

But, can I spend a week apart from her? Yes, I can.

Can I do it? Yes.

Is it healthy for me? Yes.

Do I need it to recharge my batteries to put things in perspective? Yes.

Do I need it for every single reason? Yes.

Do I feel the need to feel guilty and wish that she was here? No.

Why? Because it’s healthy.

Because there will be plenty of trips that I will take her on and plenty of trips that Daddy needs to go on.

Because if we continue to live our lives non-stop for other people while sacrificing things that we need to do for ourselves, we’re going to miss the journey of life.

It’s called balance, folks.

In order for you to be the best version of yourself, you need to disconnect from everything.

Because that’s what we need: vacation time.

We can’t be our best if we’re constantly going, going, going.

You need two weeks a year without your children. Your children will be fine without you. Two weeks a year, go on vacation and disconnect from everything. Take two weeks a year to be alone with the man or the woman that you’re with.

Connect yourself back to the person that you need to be.

Connect you back with your significant other and yourself.

And your kids will benefit from it because they’ll get to spend time with grandma and grandpa. They’ll feel safe that grandma and grandpa put them to bed, read them books at night, woke up in the morning, and made them pancakes.

As Americans, we are just brainwashed. We’re brainwashed to constantly not do the things that we need to do, like take breaks and have vacations and have alone time.

It is so important. You can’t do 100% kid time 24/7.

Once a year, go on a Hawaii trip with your significant other and just walk the beach, hold hands, and kiss all day.

Talk.

Sleep in. Make love whenever you want instead of only at night, when the kids are down and not going to come into the room.

You need these times, because these times help you grow, spiritually, mentally, and soulfully with yourself and with others.

America is the land of being out of balance, and it’s time we took a look at that.

As summer comes to an end, think: have you taken your vacation or a weekend or a week with your significant other, or yourself?

Or has it all been about family and kids because you need to every minute of the summer with your kids.

In reality, your kids need a more grounded version of you. I don’t think about the times my parents split, and didn’t take me along. I think about the time I got to spend alone and learned how to have balance.

So don’t smother your kids. Realize that they need their time away from mommy and daddy, too.

And it’s healthy for them, as it’s healthy for you.