TED Community » David Leader

Comments

• TEDCred score: +0.10 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +1

  A comment on Conversation: What is your mantra for work-life balance?

  Feb 26 2011: I've spent the last three months working through about my "wlb mantra". I recently dissolved a company, where I was a partner and CEO and my own personal company has been on ice for the last three years. I'm practically unemployed, soon 40 and somewhat over-weight. Nigel’s book is a nice read for me at the moment. Instead of jumping right back into the work force, I decided to chill for some months, take time to do things that I have not had time for in the past 12 yrs and evaluate my “sorry state”. My conclusion so far re. the wlb mantra, is that work is fine, but gives only partial fulfillment. Before I defined myself by my job, however now days I don’t believe my career path matters so much, as long as I'm doing something with my life that has meaning. Raising a healthy family has tremendous value and meaning, for my family, myself and for society. Being a support to my wife, friends, family, neighbor, or Joe-Blow on the street corner has meaning. I think that when one boils everything down, life is about relationships, not about ourselves and how much we accomplished for ourselves, but what we experience with other people and contribute to their lives. So my conclusion is that even when I am working 14 hr days, when I can see that my actions and attitude towards others is a positive contribution to their lives, whether it be the gal at the coffee shop, a secretary, my clients or the obnoxious jerk in the cue, then I feel a work-life balance and can even thrive in the rat race. However, for me to accomplish this on a regular basis I have to maintain a core relationship with my Creator, otherwise I fall flat.