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It
is September 14, 2001. I am sitting here trying to think of
something to share and, frankly, I can't.
I'm still in shock over the events of the last few days so I'm
going to offer you this:
I have always maintained that TV is the archenemy of the home-based
business owner because it's so easy to get sucked-in and completely
distracted. I’ve tried to
work while the TV is on, but I’m only at 50% capacity at best.
I suppose that’s better than sitting on the couch with a bowl of
popcorn, but I prefer operating at a higher level than that.
The solution I have always recommended is to never turn on a TV in
the first place. It’s
amazing how easy it is to avoid plot lines when you don’t know what they
are! That said, when there is
a major news event I find myself in terrible conflict; should I keep my
nose to the grindstone or just 'give-in' to the temptation to keep up with
what's going on? I have found
myself in this predicament during major events such as the Columbine
shootings, the Northridge earthquake, the Gulf War, and the Challenger
space shuttle disaster.
When something happens that is so devastating, so traumatic, so
incomprehensible as the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and
the Pentagon, I am not doing myself a favor by 'resisting'.
I NEED to keep up with the details.
I NEED to know what's happening.
I NEED to feel involved in some fashion, even if only vicariously.
So I gave myself permission, and just left the TV on.
I didn’t even pretend that I was trying to get anything done; I
just stayed glued to the tube to stay informed.
Occasionally I had to remind myself to breathe.
I didn't get much done, but it doesn't matter; I did what was most
important at the time. After
all, my country was under attack. Members
of my American “family” were lost.
Others were heroes. The
coverage of the events and all of the incredible ramifications was nothing
short of amazing. It was a
monumental moment of history, and I know I did the right thing.
If I had been in New York, I would have been out of the house (or
apartment) doing SOMETHING to help SOMEBODY who was more directly affected
than I. [As it turns out, I did visit New York in October and did
do some volunteer work with the Red Cross. You can read about it here.]
In reading what I just wrote, it sounds like I feel guilty
doesn’t it? Well, I do a
little because I, like most entrepreneurs, have a strong work ethic.
On the other hand, we also need to strike a balance between our
work and other priorities.
I'm in great pain because of what I saw and heard, but in
retrospect I really had no choice. It
was simply not possible for me to ignore what was happening so that I
could “get some work done”.
If it's a really important distraction, give yourself permission.
After all, some things are just more important than a few hours of
work.
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