BALANCING WORK AND PLAY
Hello everyone and welcome to the beginning of another week. Today just happens to be Labor Day as well so, we’re going to discuss the history of the holiday and the importance of rest and enjoying time off.
To begin, Labor Day is interesting because it evolved over a period of several years. It’s an American holiday that had its beginnings in the labor movement around the turn of the last century — when the country was just entering into the industrial revolution.
Large factories were popping up all over the United States. There was a lot of work for those willing to put in the long, hard hours — but, the labor unions also wanted to protect the American worker from exploitation and exhaustion.
To that end, many local unions on the East Coast began to organize celebrations such as picnics and parades in support of a variety of labor issues. The pivotal event, however, was a huge picnic that took place in New York City on September 5, 1882. The location of the celebration was at Wendel’s Elm Park on 92nd Street and 9th Avenue — which was the largest park in the city at that time.
It was estimated that over 10,000 participants attended the event. The city’s jewelers, bricklayers, carpenters, workers and laborers from every occupation showed up and celebrated what was later declared by the local newspapers as “a day of the people.”
By 1887 New York, New Jersey and Colorado were among the first states to uphold state-approved legal holidays. The notion to celebrate a national holiday for the nation’s workers spread until the state of South Dakota introduced S. 730 to the 53rd Congress of the United States. And, on June 28, 1894 the bill was approved making Labor Day — the first Monday of September — a national holiday recognized by every state in honor of the American worker.
Today, of course, we think of Labor Day as the last holiday of the summer. The last long weekend before families return to their pre-summer routines, children return to school, universities resume their academic schedules, vacations come to an end and we prepare for autumn, a busy winter and the upcoming holidays.
But, Labor Day also is a traditional time of reflection. It’s a time to assess the passing of summer and reassess our priorities for the new season. It’s a time to re-group — to collect our thoughts — and to refresh our energies. It’s a time to move into the last quarter of the year with firm ideas of what we want to accomplish before the year’s over and how we hope to do that.
So, take this languid, long and leisurely holiday weekend and enjoy every minute of it. If possible, spend time with family and friends. Experiment in the kitchen and cook something special for someone special. Stay outdoors and take in the fresh air. Sleep on the porch. Hike in the mountains. Take a final swim in the ocean. Play fetch with your dog.
It’s called playful rest. Spending time doing something we enjoy always recharges our batteries and clears our minds. You see, engaging in pleasant activities releases the feel-good chemicals known as endorphins into our system. And, these wonderful little guys are the body’s natural opiates — designed to decrease stress and increase pleasure.
Then, once you’ve played — and rested — and thoroughly enjoyed your holiday — take a little timeout to focus on the work and the tasks you want to complete in the next few months. Set a few goals for yourself. Think about the ways in which you’re going to complete them. Organize your thoughts. Get a game plan. Put your imagination into action.
So, as this Labor Day celebrates the worker in all of us — let it also celebrate the chance to relax and reflect — so that we can return to our work refreshed, renewed and revived.
Thanks again for joining me everyone. Until next time remain safe, stay in GOOD HEALTH and . . .
TAKE THE COURSE AND TAKE CHARGE!
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