The feeling of balance and serenity we’d so desperately sought, and found, is already gone, swept away in the pace of this frenetic city.”    

…Yep, the comeback can be crass, but it’s still so worth it. 

In many ways, moving abroad is the new sports car of the mid-life crisis.”  

Although some rare birds fly off on BreakAways throughout life, a mid-life crisis may offer serendipitous alignment.  And really, it can be so much more beneficial than, say, an affair, a divorce, or even a Porsche. 

The couple discussed taking time off before, but it was the sudden death of a friend, diagnosed with cancer at age 54, that spurred them into action.”  

It’s easy to get complacent—or too patient.  But life can implode in an instant.  So get going when the going is good! 

It took about six months to find the perfect balance.”  

A sabbatical is not a sure shot to bliss.  That’s why giving yourself as much time as possible ups the odds of finding ultimate enjoyment. 

As a family, we bonded closer than ever as we trekked into unfamiliar emotional territory and over geographical borders.”  

There may be no better way for a family to get connected than to disconnect from the daily agenda. 

The longer we were gone, the less we missed Calgary.”  

Although many people claim to “love” where they live, this family proves it’s easy to fall in love with the larger world too.  There’s a lot to love!

Increasing numbers of professionals are taking up sabbaticals offered by recession-hit firms seeking to cut costs but avoid redundancies. In return for a drop in salary of between 70 and 75 per cent, employees can take a unique opportunity to restore their work-life balance… But do the pitfalls of being away from the office outweigh the positives?”

 

The article by Judith Woods offers some insightful anecdotes and real-life examples of people who have chosen to say Yes. Here are some of the key themes:

Amen!  Bottom line?  People everywhere are learning—if by force—that there’s more to life than work, and that jobs come sans guarantees. 

• 77.  Percentage of senior executives and managers who work 41 to 60 hours a week 
• 11.  Percentage of business leaders who work 11 hours or more a day
• 40.  Percentage of businesspeople who work 10 or more hours a day

Date night means different things to different couples, but it need not (always) mean the same old supper club, cinema, or barstool.  If you’ve got a partner—or a favorite friend—make the occasional rendezvous remarkable by firing up your imagination and destination.  This weeks’s BreakAway BreakThrough (BABT) is here to remind you that: Life is short.  Enjoy every sandwich.  And love the one you’re with. 

It’s risky. I’m in my peak earning years, yet work is harder to find and budgets are tighter than ever. The value of my house has dropped, the balance in my 401(k) has plummeted, and the economy sucks. I could be in a world of hurt. But rather than letting my anxiety get the best of me, I’ve stepped away from deadlines and into a sabbatical.”