Link and Leisure

Last month whilst reading the NYT with my morning cuppa, I stumbled upon this article about leisure and Alison Link and it really got me thinking. (As a side note/full disclosure note, when I read the NYT article Alison Link sounded very familiar to me. Turns out that we had corresponded before as she is the dear friend of my friend and assistant Ami. Small world!)

As someone who has started her own business venture this year, leisure is not at the top of my list of things to do; hard work is.

But why isn't it? And shouldn't it be?

Many of my former creative "leisure" activities (dining out, writing, reading, connecting people with resources) have morphed into work. This is fantastic but that time hasn't been replaced by other creative leisure pursuits. For example, I couldn't remember the last time I read a book for pleasure. Ack!

According to Link: We need to plan for leisure — perhaps by doing one small thing every day, identifying long- and short-term leisure goals, putting enjoyable activities on the calendar — like we do other aspects of life.

So I put leisure on my list of things to actively pursue in the next six months. First, I had to figure out a few things that would count as leisure and NOT work. I added reading back in, telling myself I could carve out time to read at least one book NOT WORK RELATED a month. Lucky me, and very thankful me, I have a stack waiting to be read--some are former colleague's now published tomes and some were sent to me from other colleagues in the publishing industry i.e all free. Gotta love free. Oh happy stack!

Two weeks ago, I read Anne Feiring's "The Battle for Wine or Love", which I couldn't finish--very wine-y technical.

Last weekend, I read the nom de plume of a *wonderful* writer and former work colleague: The Scent of Blood by Raymond Miller. I read it in two hours. It's a fun film noir-ish thriller with a Jewish PI, gotta love that.

This weekend, I'm going to Vermont (pictures and stories next week) and I'm taking two books with me both written by Andrew Martin, both historical thrillers and part of a series books I worked on in my former editing life.

**

So what about you? What's your leisure life like? Do you have one? Do you need one?

Alison Link's giving "a crash course in leisure education that will give participants insight, knowledge and techniques for working with their staff, clients, family members, significant others and friends (and even their own leisure lives!)..." in New York City next month. Below is an email invitation. Happy leisuring!

Alison Link of www.theleisurelinkconsulting.com is offering a fantastic and worthwhile workshop!

Whether you are a life coach, social worker, nurse, youth worker, administrator, mental health professional, physician, business owner, therapeutic recreation specialist, HR director, parent, teacher, or just interested- this session is for you.

In honor of National Therapeutic Recreation Week July 14-18, Alison Link, the founder of The Leisure Link will facilitate this hands-on workshop highlighting the content and facilitation of leisure education and counseling.

Leisure Education for your personal and professional life – Part I : Details

How is your leisure life? How are the leisure lives of those you come in contact with?

A rewarding leisure life is the biggest predictor of our overall quality of life.
It provides the balance we need to handle non-leisure activities well and enhances resilience and life satisfaction. Over a lifetime, we will spend more time at leisure than sleeping or working. Come to this workshop and learn to help yourself, others and organizations get more enjoyment and satisfaction from leisure and life.

In this workshop you will:

• Gain insight, knowledge and techniques for working with your staff, clients, family
members, significant others and friends.

• Help YOURSELF and your staff become healthier, more productive and enjoy more leisure.

• Learn how to work towards your ideal life style and help others do the same.


Here are the details:

WHO: The Leisure Link

WHAT: Learn the basics of leisure education for your professional and personal life.

WHEN: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 @6-9pm

WHERE:In Good Company 16 W. 23rd Street (4th Floor) New York, NY 10010

FEE: Cost: $80 (or $65 "early registration discount" by July 12th)

*Payments can be sent to The Leisure Link, 414 4th Ave, Suite 2R, Brooklyn, NY 11215 or be made through Paypal.com to alison@theleisurelinkconsulting.com

RSVP: Alison Link at 917-626-0344 or alison@theleisurelinkconsulting.com

EXTRA: If you have an employer who covers professional development or will reimburse you, please request a letter of completion of the workshop.

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