First of all, good for you for taking a vacation. Did you know that millions of hours of earned vacation time go unused each year, with many Americans opting for long weekends as a substitute for extended time off?

Some career counselors advise job seekers who are unemployed to consider their job search a full time job. But, I

Sabbatical: It's a perk that you can count on if you are a college professor, but it's a rare benefit for anyone else in today's marketplace. Yet, we all need such a break in our work lives to remind us of what is truly important and to renew our commitment to our work in the world.

If you've just returned from ten days enjoying the summer and doing your favorite things, you may not need to read this blog.

A recent poll cited in Spirituality and Health magazine asked Americans to choose among the following activities if they had more time in a day: sleep, rest and relax, work, socialize or play.

What? A break? Oh, like a couple of days to do a project or two around the house, get caught up on medical appointments or have lunch with a friend before delving into the next job? If that's your concept of a "break between jobs", perhaps you'll consider a different plan.

I just read an article in the latest issue of Spirituality and Health magazine entitled "How Stress Shrinks Your Brain." Since stress seems analogous to life these days, the article got my attention.

Our culture has rituals to mark important life passages: graduations, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and deaths, to name a few. As we commemorate these passages, we may also use the occasion to reflect on our lives.

Provence Journal #3 ...In keeping with the motto that I've adopted since I began my Provence retreats, I'm challenged once again on this trip to "let go". As someone who enjoys trying to be in control, I'm not fond of this task, but I've learned that it's part of life's adventures.

Some say the French live for their vacations. They spend several months contemplating and planning, then enjoying their time off; and finally they spend the month after talking about their adventures.