I believe that some of you might have already read this before; it was a 30 seconds speech by Brian G. Dyson, former CEO of Coca Cola. Although Brian Dyson gave this speech on September 6, 1996, the words which were spoken back then are as applicable today as they were many years ago. He had aptly used an analogy of juggling balls to compare to what most of us have been struggling to balance in our lives: namely work, family, health, friends and spirit.
And how true it was when he described family, health, friends and spirit as glass ball and if we drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. Work, on the other hand, is a rubber ball which will bounce back when drop. This is something which we have to remind ourselves often to juggle the glass balls carefully. I hope that his words of wisdom would give you an insight in life.
Juggling the balls in life
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 you would 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 pave.
Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find time. 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 through 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.
Brian G. Dyson, former CEO, Coca-Cola Enterprises during his speech at the Georgia Tech 172nd Commencement Address Sept. 6, 1996
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Photo Credit: Gabriel Rojas Hruska
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Nice lessons in life. We often hold back on doing what’s good and what’s right because we are worried about what most people think when in face, we ourselves know best what’s right and what we are capable of achieving for the good of others.
@ Pinky, a lot of times we can learn a great deal from our own intuitions.
Hi Symphony of Love .. good to see you again .. what a great post – and obviously particularly apposite at this time of year .. the four glass balls are essential to our life .. family, health, friends and spirit .. other things will bounce in and out at all other times ..
Great thoughts – thank you – hope you’re well .. cheers Hilary
@ Hilary, it is good to see you again too. I couldn’t have said it better than him; to describe the other four as glass balls was aptly and very ‘visual.’