Checkin IN!
Brian Dyson’s September 1996 comments at the Georgia Tech 172nd Commencement Address (he was then President and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises) have become legendary for the succinct and powerful advice condensed into it. Now is a great time of year to ponder — and act on — his profound words:
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them — work, family, health, friends and spirit … and you’re keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls — family, health, friends, and spirit — are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.
How?
- Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
- Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
- Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
- Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
- Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
- Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.
- Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
- Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings!
- Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.
- Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
- Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
- Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.”
The above narrative really spoke to me. I wanted to capture this and not let it slip away. I am going through some emotional intelligence leadership training for work, and to be frank it’s mostly second-hand thanks to the last three years of triathlon and endurance sports focus. Further, it all started when I pivoted and began to focus more on the healthy/fit me so that I can be aware, available, and present to family, health, friends, and spirit. The stick out to me is that work will always bounce back like rubber while the others may fracture. What really matters most MAY fracture. So to that end, I am trying to stay in front of that and maintain the correct life/balance focus. I feel I am currently in a good path.
Some very great reminders and points from the then CEO of coca cola. I wish I had heard this then, alas, I had to start from where I was and to feel in front of the wave is a nice feeling. Sometimes it just ‘clicks’, just like swimming. ?
I recall when a car theft disrupted my activities in San Francisco. I had just returned from a run. It took me a few minutes to realize my backpack with work assets was gone. While I wrapped my head around things, I was more concerned that I was safe, that my wife knew that and friends too. I went through work protocols and with each moment became distracted from my health, safety and well being. In turn, I had a few colleagues want to capture said group. I got a call that my back pack was found and although I was curious if this was a ploy or a genuine kind citizen, I just took it at face value and retrieved my back pack. Gratefully, everything worked out in the end. I try to follow work protocols and guidelines and in the end, I was protected and my job was in tact.
It’s a real example that work bounces back. But everything else may have fractured and shattered. had I not remained true to my wife about my current, state and alerting her to my status – health, and work. If I had doubted my typical nature (driving excepted) that most humans are typically doing things that are good. I was glad to not go over the ledge and remain rooted in strong moral standards for me. What had just happened was great. I had taken a run on the beach. My flights and schedule allowed me to go out for an immediate run prior to dusk. I took the time for me. I ran up and down the California coastline.
Taking in the sand, and the beach, and the water, removing my shoes and running barefoot among the other strangers, and seagulls and other birds. I watched the waning moments of sunset and re-aligned myself with important things I had forgotten. I think this was the night I even took some photos for a family that wasn’t from SF area, rather they looked to be from the Middle East and I just offered to take some photos so Dad was in the photo and not just the family without him. I was in a great place, and the disruption almost went unnoticed as I discovered the shattered glass, the displaced stuff and then realized, my computer stuff is gone. Work could have shattered it all, but I didn’t let it. Nope. I stayed in front of it and in fact the following day went out with another vehicle and ran again. Yup, true story.
Interesting observations by me! Cheers! Top of utah marathon is tomorrow and I am pacing the 2 hour 15 minute time. That’s a 10 min/mile to 10:17 mile. More details here.
Pics
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