Success in Balance

FOXNews.com - Study: Money Won’t Make You Happy - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News

Life satisfaction does tend to increase as a nation’s per-capita income rises. But there is little increase in life satisfaction once per-capita income goes above $12,000 a year.

Well we have all known this, but now there is a research study that supports it. Many seemingly “successful” people committ suicide in the prime of their life. Life is a balancing act at all income levels. But for some reason we always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. We selectively see the good things, but forget the bad. Wealth fits in the same place. What are the keys to finding the balance? To being happy & content? Some days I think I know, and others I know I have no clue. Some days I have balance and others I am like an overstuffed washer, bouncing from side to side across the floor. What about you?

Can we learn something from this study? Can it benefit us or just reinforce what we already knew?

I just finished watching the Warren Buffet press conference where he answered questions about his commitment to the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation. This announcement along with Bill’s recent announcement about stepping down from Microsoft means we might just see some radical change in some serious issues. What I really liked is how Warren gets it. When asked why he didn’t just set up his own foundation and give directly to what is important to him, he said that he would not be able to put the time and effort into it that Bill & Melinda will, he is already good at investing and enjoys it, and he would be more accepting of their mistakes than his own. How’s that for honesty?

Warren realizes that he can only be good at so many things, that there are others that are better at some things. He also sees that people make mistakes. That’s part of the process. If you want to make an impact, you have to take risks. Making mistakes is just the price you pay for success.

In addition Warren made it clear that he respects and trusts Bill & Melinda. Partnering with people you trust just makes sense. Also, if you are partnered with people you trust, the mistakes make more sense.

Gotta give it to all of them. They seem to have success in balance with the rest of their lives.

Why The Web Is Hitting A Wall

Why are people saying no? Some worry, after hearing about online scams and digital viruses, that the Net isn’t safe. Others swear that, for all the brouhaha about the Net’s ability to enhance communication, e-mail and instant-message chats break down social interaction. But the broader issue is that — despite innovations that make it possible for people to call up their bank accounts with a few clicks of the mouse, watch the latest episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on a PC, and play online games against competitors in Korea, France, and South Africa — the Internet remains too complicated and costly for a huge swath of American society. Doreen Pappas, a 39-year-old who works in the finance industry in New York City, isn’t willing to go through the headache of picking out a computer, having it delivered, and setting up an online connection. “It’s a hassle and it’s expensive,” Pappas says. “I would rather spend the money on fun things.”

I came across this article in Business Week and decided to post it to my other blog, Digital Stakeholders, but as I thought about it some more, I realized it really belongs here. Sure the article identifies some technology barriers, but many people are realizing that technology can impact the balance they have in life. Boy do I respect these people. Years ago I thought they were just ludites, but they got something I missed. While they were enjoying time with people they loved, I was busy checking e-mail.

How many people do you know that can not go away for a weekend without checking their e-mail? Or take it one step further, how many go on vacation and leave their cellphone at home? Are we really that important? Do people really “need” to get ahold of us that bad?

For me it has come down to just saying no. I have to realize that it is an addiction. But not a simple addiction with one dimension, but several. There is the need to “be part of the group”, I would hate to find out that I missed something. To “be needed”, it is nice when I am needed and can help people. To “make everyone happy”, I mean what if they had to wait until Monday for an answer? So for me I just have to say no to technology at times and yes to more important thing, like my wife, my kids, my sanity….what about you? What do you need to say no too? Better yet, what do you need to say Yes too? Remember, it is not really success unless it is in balance!

FOXNews.com - Standing Tall on Character - Neil Cavuto | Your World

I’ve heard younger, yuppie types snicker at this doddering Mr. Magoo shuffling off to his next event — unaware of who he was or how much money he has. And, more importantly, all the money he gives — without notoriety, without fanfare, without a single soul, even the recipient, knowing.

This one makes you think, at least it made me think, about what success in balance really is and how do you know when you have achieved it. David knows and the cool thing is that he does not need anyone to confirm it for him. He is conforatable in his own skin and is making an impact on those around him with no need for affirmation from anyone. He has character and confidence. Take a few minutes to think about how much you (and I) depend on the affirmations of others to “feel” successful. I was not pleased with what I saw, but I continue to learn from people like David.

ESPN.com: NFL

As coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy makes his living making adjustments. Some are subtle. Parenting and coaching are a lot alike in that way. As he and his family cope with the toughest loss of their lives, that of their son and brother, James, Tony Dungy is taking the necessary steps to see that it doesn’t happen again. Those steps don’t have to be huge. In this case, they amount to a simple stroll into the other room.

The more I learn about Tony the more I am impressed. This man truly understands what success in balance means and even more, he understands what life is all about. Sort of reminds me a bit of Job. No matter what happens to this man he remains true to himself and his values. I think we can learn a lot from him. This article is well worth the time to read.

Best quote in the article:

“You may not win the Super Bowl. Your kids may not go on to be doctors and lawyers and everything may not go perfectly. That doesn’t mean it was a bad plan or the wrong thing. It’s just like a football season. Everything’s not going to go perfect. You’re going to have some losses that you’re going to have to bounce back from and some things that are a little unforeseen that you’re going to have to deal with. It’s how you work your way through things.”

John Baldoni’s CIO Coach Casting - Home Page - CIO

Executive coach and CIO.com columnist John Baldoni provides you with information to use to develop your people as well as your own managerial skills. Each episode of John Baldoni’s CIO Coach Casting provides actionable advice that you can use today and in the future.

Good stuff. Each of these podcast type MP3’s is short enough to listen to when you have a minute or two and each reinforces important aspects of life. I particualrly liked the one on prioritizing as it spoke specifically to the 24/7 mentality. Boundaries are a huge issue and prioritizing is important. Deals with a variety of topics such as office politics….think I will have to check this one out regularly.

Well last night I finally finished Your Best Life Now and I must say I ended up liking the book even more at the end than at the beginning (I liked it a lot when I started). It is easy to see why Joel Osteen’s church continues to grow. He has such simple esay advice. The only problem I see is that while it sounds simple, it requires retraining your mind and daily discipline. My only regret is that I did not utilize the journal. I think it would have enhanced the entire experience. However I do not think this will be the last time I read this book. I look forward to posting a review of the second part shortly.

If you would like to share your thoughts, there is a thread started in the discussion area. Please feel free to jump right in. That is what this site is all about.

Getting Paid to Learn - Blog Maverick - www.blogmaverick.com _

For most recent college grads, you just spent the last 4 or so years paying tuition to get an education. Now that you have graduated, its your chance to get paid to learn.

Another great post by Mark Cuban. I really enjoy reading his blog. He is so down to earth, real and believe it or not practical. I also enjoyed watching an interview with him the other night. Some people thinks he just “got lucky” and he pointed out that he had been fired several times from minimum wage jobs. But he just kept at it. Good stuff.

 

Some thoughts on the NBA . - Blog Maverick - www.blogmaverick.com

As a partner, I would rather offer up a topic for discussion and be told Im wrong, or even ignored, then not present my perspective. You never know the impact if you dont communicate. Its usually just a short and simple email from me for someone in the NBA to read and respond to, or not.

As I read this over at Blog Maverick, I could not help but think how this mentality is the reason Mark is so successful. He realizes it is not perfection that is the key, but the constant pursuit to make things better. He does say “Shaq is wrong” but what Shaq is doing is wrong. Totally different focus. Mark gets it. If each and every day we all work to make ourselves better and those around us better, how much better will this world be?

Laziness

A friend told me about this great website called Despair. It is a site devoted to demotivation. Now that might seem silly, but they creators realized that motivation is huge business, but the reality is most people are not motivated and do not really want to be motivated. As I looked through many of the sayings it was simply amazing how many I connected with. This one was on of my favorites, but for different reasons:

Success is a journey is one of my favorite sayings, so at first I was a bit annoyed. But then as I thought about it in the context of Success in Balance with the rest of my life, I started liking it more and more. Often my life is out of balance because I am being driven by urgency instead of importance. I react to situations. I deal with the things that come my way. At times I need to slow down to “smell the roses.” You can’t smell them if you run right by them. So while life is a journey, we need to slow down and enjoy the journey. Funny how a demotivational poster can be so motivating