Life is hectic. Our days are filled with so many of the "have tos" that we feel there's no time left for the "want tos." Further, spending all our time with others doesn't give us the ability to hit the reset button and relax. Leaving little to no time for ourselves or for the things that are important to us can lead to unmanaged stress, frustration, fatigue, resentment, or worse, health issues. Building in regular "you time," however, can provide numerous benefits, all of which help to make life a little bit sweeter and a little bit more manageable. Unfortunately, many individuals struggle with reaching goals due to an inability to prioritize their own needs. Alone time, however, forces you to take a break from everyday responsibilities and the requirements of others so you can dedicate time to move forward with your own goals, meet your own personal needs, and further explore your personal dreams.

Born in 1927 in Cleveland, Ohio, Carl Stokes had a hard time early in his life. When he was a young child, his father died. As he grew up, he held many odd jobs to help his family. Stokes graduated from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and passed the bar exam. He established a law firm in 1962. A few years later, he ran for Mayor of Cleveland and lost, but he entered the race again in the next election and won. He became the first African-American mayor of the city. After retiring from politics, he moved to New York City and became a TV news anchor. Later in his life, he was appointed the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles. His amazing life finally came to an end in his birth city in 1996.

John was once in the office of a manager, Michael, when the phone rang. Immediately, Michael bellowed, "That disgusting phone never stops ringing." ①He then proceeded to pick it up and engage in a fifteen-minute conversation while John waited. When ②he finally hung up, he looked exhausted and frustrated. He apologized as the phone rang once again. He later confessed that he was having a great deal of trouble completing his tasks because of the volume of calls he was responding to. At some point John asked him, "Have you ever considered having a certain period of time when ③you simply don't answer the phone?" Michael said, "As a matter of fact, no," looking at ④him with a puzzled look. It turned out that this simple suggestion helped Michael not only to relax, but to get more work done as well. Like many people, ⑤he didn't need hours of uninterrupted time, but he did need some!

The waves were perfect for surfing. Dave, however, just could not stay on his board. He had tried more than ten times to stand up but never managed it. He felt that he would never succeed. He was about to give up when he looked at the sea one last time. The swelling waves seemed to say, "Come on, Dave. One more try!" Taking a deep breath, he picked up his board and ran into the water. He waited for the right wave. Finally, it came. He jumped up onto the board just like he had practiced. And this time, standing upright, he battled the wave all the way back to shore. Walking out of the water joyfully, he cheered, "Wow, I did it!"

Dear Mr. Kayne, I am a resident of Cansinghill Apartments, located right next to the newly opened Vuenna Dog Park. As I live with three dogs, I am very happy to let my dogs run around and safely play with other dogs from the neighborhood. However, the noise of barking and yelling from the park at night is so loud and disturbing that I cannot relax in my apartment. Many of my apartment neighbors also seriously complain about this noise. I want immediate action to solve this urgent problem. Since you are the manager of Vuenna Dog Park, I ask you to take measures to prevent the noise at night. I hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Monty Kim