Balancing the rubber ball..

Ian Andrew Bell (ibell@cisco.com)
Thu, 15 Oct 1998 10:15:12 -0700

I just thought I'd post this, mostly so I'd have a place to find it, but
partially because I think that we're all guilty of breaking the
fundamental principles that it communicates.

Part of why I changed cities, countries, lifestyles, etc. was so that I
could wipe the slate clean and start afresh with the guidance of advice
like this:

---
The Present


In a university commencement address several years ago, Brian Dyson, CEO
of
Coca Cola Enterprises, spoke of the relation of work to one's other
commitments.
"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 they were 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.
    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 though 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.
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery and Today is a gift.... 
that's why we call it The Present." 



---
-Ian.
_________________________________________________________________
Ian Andrew Bell                                   ibell@cisco.com
Business Development Manager                       (408) 525-8630
VOIP - Global Alliances                             www.cisco.com
Cisco Systems Inc.                                     .:|:..:|:.