Burn out or take a break?

This last week I had the opportunity to meet with a few close friends that are no different than myself. We all are involved in highly intense types of work or ministry that it is easy at times to want to walk away from everything and throw in the towel. I listened to one friend talk about mid life crisis at 50 and another talk about dealing with people that only know how to complain and stir up strife amongst everyone. I had a difficult talk with someone that put me in a tough situation where I didn’t know what to do to help restrain this individual from making statements that sounded like threats. (Great way to start off a Saturday.)

The bottom line is that our lives must always be more than our work or even our passions in life. I have made a concerted effort over the years to take my Anne on little get a ways. These have now been deemed staycations. Yeah, I love to get a hotel room, regardless of whether it is fancy or a dive place, to just let go of texts, e-mails and social media. It should be easy to put down your smart phone or leave the laptop at home, yet, something inside me tells me that I have to be connected otherwise I won’t be in the midst of the action. I have another friend, who is also a 50 something, who chooses not to use e-mail or social media. I’m not ready to go that far.

I chatted with my one friend at a Starbucks where we looked back at our lives and it seemed that age does at times cause us to be less able to adapt to circumstances that aren’t going to change over night. So the question becomes how do we deal with the emotional and intellectual side of needing time off and away from the fray. Most guys love to be in the middle of the battle and get that adrenalin rush. I admit that my energy level is less then 20-years ago yet, my passion seems to be greater which helps during moments of crisis.  

I talked with another friend about the need to have down time and the ability to create a little oasis amidst the storm. I know that reading and just chilling help immensely when it comes to having a break in the action. The challenge is that we are so wired to stay connected that it is difficult to let go and truly believe that the person in crisis or friend who wants to go out can survive without me. I see the need for men to have real ‘guy’ friends who can hold them accountable and ask some tough questions about staying healthy in a 360 fashion.