One of my most treasured possessions is an audio cassette tape (I’ve linked out to it for you young ones who don’t know what it is).
My mom recorded this cassette tape for me when she was sick. In it, she tells me that it is critical to find balance in life, especially when it comes to work. More specifically, she told me to recognize when things like work are “good enough” and try to “enjoy life.”
You see, my mom was brilliant and worked exceptionally hard. She graduated college early from Zhejiang University, and received her Ph.D. by the time she was 25 in Chemical Engineering. She then immigrated to the US where she worked for GE Plastics as an engineer in the 90s. In her spare time, she was involved in the Chinese immigrant community in Indiana, and blessed others with her joy and energy.
However, she said that she regretted working so hard when cancer unexpectedly struck. In addition to taking as much as she was willing to give, her line of work likely exposed her to various chemicals that may have contributed to the development of cancer. She also wished she had spent more time with me.
I know that she worked so hard for the family and my material well-being, and it is a debt that I can’t repay. But I can listen to her final words and try to find a balance, and slow down to enjoy this time on earth we’ve been given.
Okay, balance is good, but things should you try to find a balance between?
This is a great question. There are some things that I consider the best, specifically faith and relationships that I do not think the principle of balance should apply to. What I mean is, these things should take up the biggest proportion of your spiritual, mental, and physical energy (say, each greater than 30%). For the remaining 40% though, you have to split it among many goods: work, exercise, entertainment, eating, service, etc. For these things, I do think that the principle of balance applies.
