The Balance of Life

It’s been too long! I’ve been waiting forever! These of the words from numerable sources about tonight’s blog post, as countless and countless fans await to read my blog posts. I can’t imagine if these delusional thoughts will ever be justifiable…. which, for the record, is neither here nor there. Let’s get this show on the road!

I’d like to discuss with you a very interesting situation that we will all enter one way or another. This is exceptionally prominent for those people intensely passionate about something, whether they’re an athlete, entrepreneur, professional student, or just a ridiculous human being. For those of you who qualify under these categories, one of the biggest questions that comes along is how to balance your time effectively; in other words, do you chose your passion, or do you chose your friends?

The Classic Question:

Ahh, yes. The classic question. Johnny could either program his computer or brush his teeth and go out with his friends. Candice could either play her guitar or go watch The Hangover. Keith could either continue with his business or actually get a hangover. What do you do?! How do you handle it?!

Don’t panic! I have the tools for success, or at least the opinion of a 19 year old (which isn’t valued by auto insurance companies). Ahem. The answer lies in not what your parents say, or what your teacher says. The answer lies in what you want out of life. The answer lies in where your priorities are for now and the future. And from this perspective, you could balance your time effectively.

“Well then,” you ask (to yourself), “what does that mean?” I’m glad you asked! That means, if you value friendship over whatever it is that you do, then you know where you need to prioritize. Or, if you’re Keith, and you’re working with Johnny to create a thriving computer programming business, and you ultimately find pleasure from creating something worthwhile like that, then you have your answer: your priorities lie in your passion.

But, you know that your friendships are important. Or you really enjoy your passion enough for you to not interact with your friends that much. What I’m not suggesting is to overwhelm your life with an imbalance as a result of prioritization. What I’m suggesting is to balance your life effectively, with both your passion and friends. To be an effective friend means to have passion like Keith, Johnny or Candice, and to be an effective businessman or a guitar player, you need true friends.

We understand the balance part, but put this together with my point about your priorities now and into the future. If you’re a college or high school student, then you need to know where your future may head. If you believe that music is the way, then hell, Candice, spend a little more time practicing guitar, time normally spent at the mall or loitering behind a pharmacy. Johnny, please still brush your teeth, but understand that these computer programming skills can dramatically help your future. Keith, enjoy your student-run entrepreneurial pursuit. While your friends experiment with Diet Coke and Mentos on that Tuesday afternoon, work on your business while boisterously drinking that Starbucks Coffee of yours with confidence. These are examples of prioritizing your time to reflect your passions.

Of course, please know that ultimately, a business or a computer program is no good without the people you’d interact with – your friends. We need the balance of life to keep us both on the shoulders of our friends (sober or not), as well as floating above the pack to achieve and bring passions to fruition. Your friends are extremely important, so Johnnys, Candices, and Keiths, know that your prioritization needs balance.

In the words of Thomas Merton, writer and social activist of the 20th century, “Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” I hope my auto insurance company reads this.