Dear Mr. Morton- Our lives are too stressful due to our both working full-time in our family-owned business! There’s no time to do what we want to do, like spending more time with our kids.- Anonymous. 
Dear Anonymous- Recent studies show occupational pressures and fears stress Americans more than ever. Employee interviews reveal that ¼ feel their job is the number one stressor in their lives and ¾ believe they have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago (Princeton Survey Research Associates).
In today’s world where bankers loan you money only if you show them sufficient evidence that you don’t need it and where fraud intrudes upon corporate and political morality, perhaps it’s time to step back and de-stress your lives. I enjoyed the book, “Living the “Simple Life” by Elaine St. James. Rich corporate executives, Elaine and her husband could never enjoy their wealth. So, they changed their buying patterns; said “No” to social and civic activities; turned off the cell phone, TV, radio, CD player, Walkman, and iPod; tossed the smut (romance) novels;
simplified the family meals; performed minimal household chores; and eliminated all but grocery shopping.
Soon, their inner-selves surfaced from underneath the entanglements they allowed their lives to become. I wish a few others learned what complicated their existence and what was required to untangle it. For example- Leo Kozlowski, Tyco International CEO who spent $400 million of company funds to support his lavish lifestyle; Adelphia Communications Corporation‘s John Rigas and his son Timothy who were convicted of securities/bank fraud and hiding $2.3 billion from Adelphia investors; WorldCom CEO Bernie Ebbers who’s spending 25 years in prison for an $11 billion accounting fraud; former NASDAQ Chairman Bernie Madoff who’s serving 125 years hard time for turning his business into a massive Ponzi scheme; Enron’s Kenneth Lay…the list is endless. Honest business people can learn from these jailbirds, for all must do some soul-searching and make sure their priorities are right. It's frustrating to climb the ladder of success, only to discover the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall!
Read “Living the Simple Life” and scroll down through the FAMILY JOURNAL postings below and read the article: “I. Benefits Of Laughter, Stress Reduction & Management”. And, don't forget to read the free videos and daily-updated newspaper articles about small business stress in the right margin under code (I).
USEFUL LINKS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS: HOW TO'S OF DEALING WITH WORKPLACE STRESS:
