Are You Actually Living or Just Working Through Life?

Have you been putting off happiness in pursuit of success? Today's raw, unfiltered conversation tackles one of life's most dangerous patterns – postponing joy, connection, and rest in service of professional obligations.

I open up about my shocking realization that I haven't taken a proper vacation in nearly two years, constantly deferring personal needs for client demands. This pattern of perpetual postponement comes with a price we often don't recognize until it's too late. As I candidly share, nobody on their deathbed wishes they'd spent more time at the office.

The journey through this revelation touches on several profound life lessons: the struggle with guilt when prioritizing ourselves, the importance of reconnecting with family before it's too late, and the necessity of being fully present rather than just physically in attendance. 

💬 Key Takeaways

• Stop delaying time with the people you love
• Learn to prioritize your own needs—even when you’re the leader
• Why being “present” is more powerful than just showing up
• Letting go of guilt around rest, fun, and personal growth
• How boundaries are an act of self-respect (and leadership)

📚 Books Maria Mentions:

• This Naked Mind by Annie Grace – a new perspective on alcohol and awareness
• The Heart of the Soul by Gary Zukav – a transformative book on emotional awareness
• The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav – exploring energy, consciousness, and quantum physics
• Whale Done! by Ken Blanchard – on building powerful relationships with positive reinforcement

🗣️ Quotes from Maria Quattrone:

• “Don’t postpone the things in your life. Go. Do them. Live your life.”
• “I put my clients before myself. That’s not healthy. I’m not doing it anymore.”
• “If you’re going to show up, be present. That’s the most important thing.”
• “You have to fall in love with your life again—and that takes time.”

This episode serves as both confession and call to action. What dreams are you deferring? What connections are you neglecting? What joy are you denying yourself in service of work that will always be there waiting? Don't postpone life's most meaningful experiences. Make that plan, book that trip, see those loved ones, and be truly present when you do. Your future self will thank you for the memories you create today.

Connect with Maria Quattrone:
Facebook: Maria Quattrone
Facebook Page: REMAX at Home Facebook
Facebook Page: Rise in Real Estate Facebook
LinkedIn: Maria Quattrone
YouTube: Maria Quattrone
Instagram: @maria_quattrone
TikTok: mariaquattronerealestate
Website: MQrealesate.com
Office number: 215- 607-3535

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Don't post things, do not postpone things.
Make plans to see your family,make time to see your friends.
Hi, it's Maria Quattrone and Iwas thinking earlier.
Actually, I've been thinkingabout this for a couple weeks at

(00:20):
least, and part of my thinkingabout this is that I'm planning
my vacation, and last year therewasn't a vacation.
I haven't had a vacation,actually have not had off more
than like one work day in a rowoutside of a weekend.
In August will be two years.

(00:41):
So last year, dingo Vacationpostponed what we were going to
do due to work, due to thebusiness, due to the real estate
market.
And here's the thing People die,people don't fulfill their

(01:04):
dreams.
They always think there'stomorrow and so often than not,
I hear people say well, can't gosee my family, I'm not going to
get together with my friends, Ihave to work, I have to work, I
have to work, I have to work.
And the problem with all thatis that life continues to happen
and I don't know anybody ontheir deathbed.

(01:25):
That said, hmm, maybe I shouldspend more hours working.
Now I'm coming to you with thismessage tonight because I think
people need to hear it.
I personally need to hear itmyself.
I am going to finish planningthis trip for Chip and I and
whoever else is going to betagging along on the trip, and I

(01:50):
keep vacillating about the daysaway, the number of days away,
because I do want to go see somefamily overseas and in order to
do that, I need a little bitmore time.
I can't cram it in in theallotted time that I was going
to go, and I keep thinking tomyself you know, why am I not

(02:14):
taking this time?
Why do I feel guilty abouttaking time off when I haven't
had a vacation in two years?
And the way that I work, that'sjust nuts.
So I have to get over this andI have to move myself forward.

(02:36):
And a lot of messages that Italk about some of them, you
know, is for the buyers, sellers, sellers, real estate agents
and some of the messages andsome of the things are right are
actually for me, because I needto hear myself say it and I
need to start enjoying all thethings that I've done in my life

(03:02):
and taking more time.
Things that I've done in mylife and taking more time, you
know, when you look at your workand you're so committed, I put
my clients before my own needs,which is really not a good thing
, and I have done this and I'mnot doing it anymore.

(03:23):
I'm first, I'm first.
At the end of the day, nobodyreally even cares that much, so
I have to take care of myselffirst.
Part of that taking care ofmyself is enjoying my life and
going on a vacation that's morethan well-deserved, and I

(03:46):
implore you to do the same thing, because I know I'm not the
only one who feels this way.
I know there was many peopleout there that feel the same way
and, by the way, one weekvacation is nowhere near enough.
When I go overseas, I go for atleast two weeks, and I want to
go this time for a little longerthan that.
And that's where I'm strugglingwith.

(04:06):
And you know it's veryexpensive to fly over there, and
especially if you want to getgood seats on the plane.
Luckily, I have a lot of pointsI saved because I haven't used
them for over.
I actually haven't used them in, I think, for three years.
The last time I couldn't usethe points.
But nonetheless, plan your life.

(04:27):
You got to see your family 'vegot to see your family.
You've got to see your friends,like if you have grandparents,
see them, I miss mine.
I have my parents, I see them,I talk to them, and your parents

(04:49):
, like people in your life.
Work is not that important.
Sure, we help people, but firstgot to take care of me, got to
take care of myself.
That's why I'm on this journey.
I think today's 39, but no wine, which is interesting.

(05:09):
It's really actuallyinteresting because I'm reading
this book called the Naked Mindand it's all about alcohol and
it's it's very interestingbecause I don't feel deprived at
all, because I made this choiceand it's not a forever thing,
it's for now, until I get towhere I want to be, and I
haven't made the decision likehow many days it'll be, or you

(05:32):
know, I don't know, maybe I'llhave a glass of wine this
weekend, I don't know.
I haven't thought out that far.
I thought out from day to day.
Tomorrow I go to get my bloodwork done.
So I have a doctor'sappointment, an annual in two
weeks.
So I want to get to a point andin order to do that, I'm

(05:54):
leaving this on the side for aminute.
I'm starting to actually feelbetter.
I didn't feel bad at all,actually.
It was more of actually beingtired, and I said I was less
tired when I just had the winein the evening.
Go figure, I don't know how itall works, but I'm reading about

(06:19):
it.
It doesn't say anything aboutthe tiredness in this book.
By the way, it's called theNaked Mind and I highly
recommend it.
I also have this other book.
There's two books.
I want to share them with youIf you give me one second.
I'm going to be reading thisweekend.

(06:39):
This one is by Gary Zukav.
If you haven't read any of hisbooks the Heart of the Soul.
It is phenomenal.
It will change the way you lookat so many things.
But this book is called theDancing Woo Lee Masters, wu Li
Masters, and this is all aboutpatterns of organic energy,

(07:06):
basically, and enlightenment.
So I will fill you in on thisbook.
I don't think I'll be able toread this in a weekend because
it's a little bit heavier thansome of the fiction stuff I've
been reading and reading booksin like five hours, a whole book
.
And then this is the other book.
This is by Ken Blanchard andit's called Well Done and it's a

(07:28):
really cool book.
It's about the power ofpositive relationships and I
read this a long time ago.
I forget a hundred what it'slike, the whole thing about it.
So I reread books a lot.
Anyway, here's the point Don'tpostpone the things in your life

(07:52):
.
Go, do them, make plans, liveyour life, have fun, let your
hair down, get a little crazy,love your life.
And earlier today I really havebeen thinking about a lot of
things and I have to fall inlove with my life again.

(08:15):
So I'm going to take the timethat I need to do that and wish
you the best tonight.
I'm coming to you a little bitlater than usual.
I actually was thinking aboutthis conversation and I was
hesitant to put it out there,but I'm glad that I did and I
hope that you gained somethingfrom it.
And I hope that you make yourplans.

(08:36):
I hope that you go on vacationand you take your family and you
spend time and you go to yourkids' recitals and games, and
you're present.
Not only do you go I want tomake some another note here Not
only do you go, but that you'rethere and you're not on your
phone and you're not checkingyour messages and you're not

(08:58):
checking your emails, but you'represent, and that is actually
the most important that whereverwe do that, we're present at
wherever we are at that time.
Try it.
I think it will really help youand it's helped me and
hopefully it's going to help memore.