Take a moment and be grateful—life’s all about balance
Column by JAY PERRY
This time of year, I always find the subject of balance comes to mind. The Thanksgivings have passed, and we are approaching the Holy Days at the end of the calendar year. Each of these events makes us more mindful of gratitude. Gratitude for leaders is one-half of the balance I wish to discuss within this article. The other half of the balancing act is the never-ending desire for more. ‘More’ can be described as a quest for better, improvement, greater or enhancement.
You can see the conundrum; how can I be grateful for what I have and in good conscience, yet still quest for more? The desire for more is something that all leaders must balance because if it is out of balance by being overweighted in our viewpoint, we lose gratitude for things we have. Leaders are usually people that have put the two components into their respective places. This hunger for more is based upon an innate sense we all have that the status quo can be improved. This could be looked at from a lofty position, but I think it is more appropriate to view through a lens that focuses on the day-to-day.
We all have family, close friends and others in our lives for whom we are grateful because they contribute to our personal lives being better. We all have possessions that improve the quality of our lives through providing comforts and pleasure. This is the balance point we should strive for each day, an appreciation of these people and things. It begs the question, if I’m grateful for what I have, why do I want things that would lead to more? It is a question I think we all should ask of ourselves because if we do not find the correct balance, we will not be happy through a dissatisfaction with our lot in life.
It is important that we reflect on this balance and especially as we approach the ending of a year and the start of a new one. The New Year always calls for reflection and that should involve our gratitude. We all have been through the wringer this past two years and will be feeling the effects of COVID-times for the rest of our lives. There has been pain, but also has there been pleasure. We have made sacrifices and so have others right alongside of us. We have lost family and friends as have others. And we have helped each other endure which, to me, is opportunity for gratitude.
To balance that with wanting more we must put at the centre of our focus the ‘why’. The why is our reason we get out of bed. When we are clear about that cause being in alignment with helping others advance in careers, quality of life and leaving the world a better place than we found it, we are showing balance. Balance is what we will keep us the one who’s driving. Happy New Year!
