Friday, September 24, 2004
These was a interesting article taken from my email... So decided to share it with u all.....
Dear all,
> > It's abit lengthy.... but pls, do spare some time to
> > read...
> > Pretty true & meaningful.
> > Spare some time to do the things u like, for your
> > loved ones and for
> > your family.
> >
> > Balance of Life
> >
> > Mary and Susan were friends for years. They grew up
> > together and
> > attended the same schools. They were now both in
> > their 40's, and
> > both had great
> > careers. They both had a similar upbringing - same
> > education, same
> > family values, similar support and financial
> > position. But there
> > was one main difference.
> >
> > Mary never seemed to have enough time. She watched
> > her life long
> > friend Susan. She had similar responsibilities and
> > interests.
> > Susan had a career, she had three children, she had
> > her hobbies,
> > one of which included golf.Over lunch, Susan was
> > telling Mary
> > about the golf game that she played last weekend.
> > "Susan, where do you find the time to play golf?"
> > asked Mary. "I
> > never seem to have the time, now with the children
> > older and doing
> > their own thing
> > I thought I would have time to play golf like we did
> > when we were
> > in college."
> >
> > Susan looked at Mary and laughed, "Mary, we both
> > have the same
> > hours in a day. You do have the time to play golf!"
> > With a sigh
> > Mary replied, "That's
> > easy for you to say. I never seem to have time. My
> > work takes so
> > much of my time. I am in the office at 7:30, I leave
> > at 6:30 in
> > the evening. By the
> > time I get home and have dinner, it is 8:00! And,
> > then I usually
> > have a briefcase full of work. The weekends are full
> > of more work.
> > Just to keep up, I have to put in the hours. You
> > know what it is
> > like!"
> >
> > "Of course, I know what it is like," Susan said.
> > "But what would
> > happen tomorrow if you got sick? Who would do the
> > work?" "Sick.
> > Who has time to get sick! exclaimed Mary. "But if I
> > did get sick,
> > someone else would do the work, I suppose."
> >
> > "You know something, Mary, I used to be like you. I
> > worked night
> > and day and of course on weekends. When I got home I
> > was exhausted
> > but I would push
> > myself and read my children a bedtime story. By the
> > time I went to
> > bed, I would be more than exhausted. The boss I had
> > was very
> > demanding. She was there early in the morning, late
> > at night, and she
> > always worked
> > weekends.
> >
> > I felt I had to do the same - I needed the job to
> > help support my
> > family just as you did. But then I had a change of
> > bosses. The man
> > I worked for was older and much wiser, I might add!
> > Of course, I continued to
> > work the hours I had been working. One day he came
> > to my desk and
> > passed me a card
> > that had a quote on it which said, 'What I do today
> > is important,
> > because I will never have today again' - then he
> > left.
> >
> > I sat there stunned. I suddenly thought of what was
> > important to
> > me. While my work was important, I realized my
> > children were more
> > important. I also realized that time for me was
> > important. It was
> > 4:30, the official
> > closing time of the office. I straightened my desk,
> > felt a twinge
> > of guilt about leaving, but I forced myself to
> > leave. I was home by
> > 5:00. My children and
> > husband were surprised. I had a wonderful evening.
> > It was not a
> > chore to read that bedtime story that evening."
> >
> > Mary was looking at her friend thoughtfully and then
> > questioned
> > Susan about the work she had left on her desk. Susan
> > replied, "I
> > never thought this
> > possible, but I actually accomplished more the next
> > day then I had
> > in weeks. As I was leaving the next day I stopped at
> > my new boss's
> > office and thanked him for the quote.
> >
> > He told me a story about advice his dad had given
> > him many years
> > ago when he was working night and day. He referred
> > to it as
> > 'Balance of Life'. His dad told him to keep balance
> > in his work,
> > in his family life and in time for himself. He
> > explained to me,
> > while all aspects of our life are important, without
> > a balance,
> > you become addicted and like all addictions you
> > lose:
> > * no balance with your family - you lose them
> > * no balance with your work - you lose your
> > perspective and you
> > actually lose focus on the important aspects of your
> > job.
> > * no balance with yourself - you forget who you are
> > and when you
> > retire you have nothing! Or worse than that, if you
> > lose your job
> > through a company sale or downsizing you lose your
> > identity.
> >
> > He went on to tell me that who we are is NOT what we
> > do to make a
> > living. Who we are is a balance of our family, our
> > work,
> > ourselves! It truly was the best advice I ever
> > received."
> >
> > Mary took a drink of her tea and tearfully looked at
> > her friend,
> > "But I would never get my work done if I left at
> > 4:30!" Susan
> > looked thoughtfully at her, "When you go to work on
> > Monday, look
> > at what you have on your desk. Make a list of
> > everything you have
> > to get done and beside that list write the impact of
> > not doing it.
> > Then focus only on the top three items that have the
> > most impact.
> >
> > Do that everyday for a week.At first, you will find
> > it difficult
> > to leave. But, after awhile, you will find that you
> > will have more
> > energy, and you will be more focused in your work
> > because you have
> >
> > BALANCE! There are times when we have to lose
> > balance- a special
> > project at work, or a family matter at home - but
> > consciously
> > focusing on balance keeps everything in check."
> >
> > Mary smiled at her friend, "Thanks for talking with
> > me. We have
> > been friends for so long. Thank heavens I have
> > balance with our
> > friendship! You have convinced me. I will leave the
> > work in my
> > briefcase this weekend. On Monday, I will make the
> > list first
> > thing. Perhaps next weekend, I will have the time to
> > go golfing
> > with you!"
> >
> > "Balance of Life" - important for us ALL!
> >
> > They call it the "Quarter-life Crisis." It is when
> > you stop going
> > along with the crowd and start realizing that there
> > are many
> > things about yourself that you didn't know and may
> > not like. You
> > start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be
> > in a year or
> > two, but then get scared because you barely know
> > where you are
> > now. You start realizing that people are selfish and
> > that, maybe,
> > those friends that you thought you were so close to
> > aren't exactly
> > the greatest people you have ever met, and the
> > people you have
> > lost touch with are some of the most important ones.
> >
> > What you don't recognize is that they are realizing
> > that too, and
> > aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but
> > that they are as
> > confused as you. You look at your job... and it is
> > not even close
> > to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you
> > are looking
> > for a job and realizing that you are going to have
> > to start at the
> > bottom and that scares you. Your opinions have
> > gotten stronger.
> >
> > You see what others are doing and find yourself
> > judging more than
> > usual because suddenly you realize that you have
> > certain
> > boundaries in your life and are constantly adding
> > things to your
> > list of what is acceptable and what isn't.
> >
> > One minute, you are insecure and then the next,
> > secure. You laugh
> > and cry with the greatest force of your life. You
> > feel alone and
> > scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy
> > and you try and
> > cling on to the past with dear life, but soon
> > realize that the
> > past is drifting further and further away, and there
> > is nothing to
> > do but stay where you are or move forward.
> >
> > You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you
> > loved could
> > do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder
> > why you can't
> > meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to
> > know better. Or maybe you
> > love someone but that someone love someone else too
> > and cannot
> > figure out why you are doing this because you know
> > that you aren't
> > a bad person. One night stands and random hook ups
> > start to look
> > cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot
> > starts to look
> > pathetic. You go through the same emotions and
> > questions over and
> > over, and talk with your friends about the same
> > topics because you
> > cannot seem to make a decision.
> >
> > You worry about loans, money, the future and making
> > a life for
> > yourself... and while winning the race would be
> > great, right now
> > you'd just like to be a contender! What you may not
> > realize is
> > that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in
> > our best of
> > times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we
> > can to figure
> > this whole thing out.
> >
> > Send this to your twenty-something friends...maybe
> > it will help
> > someone feel like they aren't alone in their state
> > of confusion.
> >
> > May you have enough happiness to make you sweet,
> > enough trials to
> > make you strong,
> > enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make
> > you happy.
Foreva Frens
