Give Yourself Permission

It is September 14, 2001 and I am sitting here trying to
think of something to share; frankly, I can't. I'm still in
shock over the events of the last few days so I'm going to
offer 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.

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.