On a
spectacular Sunday afternoon, I went for a run in Mines Falls Park, our
hometown park. I love running in the
fall – colors blazing in the trees, crisp cool air, sunlight sparkling off the
river and millpond, no heat and humidity to slow me down. Normally I turn on my music and zone out
while I settle into a groove and the next thing I know, six miles are behind me
and I am doing my cool-down exercises. Lately
I have been doing something different. I
leave the headphones behind, choosing silence instead. Well, the park is not silent. There are the sounds of wildlife – birds,
croakers, crickets, squirrels and chipmunks scurrying around. There are the sounds of cheering from a
nearby soccer field. And there are the greetings
from fellow runners, cyclists, and walkers enjoying the park. I still bring my phone with me and I ran the
timer, but it wasn’t about running a fast time.
It was about relaxation…meditation…reconnecting with nature and the
universe around me. Doing something I
have not been doing much of lately. Why
not? Well, to summarize in one word,
life. Well, in actuality, work.
A few weeks
ago, on another run, but this time with my daughter, I was explaining to her
the wheel of life and how important it was to keep the seven spokes of the
wheel in balance. I learned of the wheel
from Paul Brown of Leadership Dynamics, who was running a managerial
effectiveness course for our organization.
The seven spokes, all equal to one another, are career, family, health,
mental development, social (friends, clubs, giving to society), spiritual, and
financial. As I was explaining to her,
it is important to have balance in all seven areas. Neglecting just one area throws everything
out of balance. Or, overly focusing on
one area causes the other areas to whither.
After a lively conversation about some of the concepts, she seemed to
grasp the wheel and the importance of balance.
Ironically, I was paying little attention to my own balance at the time.
In looking
back at the summer, my intense focus on our product launch as well as having to
solve several major problems, some of which still remain unsolved, was throwing
me out of balance. I gave up my noonday meditation
walks to squeeze in another half-hour of work.
I worked long hours into the evening and ended the day exhausted. I still made it a point to spend time with family
and friends, but had all but given up reading and writing, choosing instead to zone
out. Instead of running five times a
week, I was running two or three. I
would find myself working on weekends rather than going to church and managing
our investments. I felt stressed out
most of my waking hours. Work was siphoning
energy from the other aspects of my life, leading to disruption and unbalance. Luckily, I have caught myself and have taken
measures to restore my life balance.
Bringing life
back into balance is providing positive benefits all around, including at
work. Ironically, working fewer hours
has improved my overall effectiveness at work, and we are making good progress
in solving the problems threatening the product launch. And I am happier as a result. With gratitude, I head back to the park and embark
on another Sunday run. I not only feel
the exhilarating crisp cool air, but more importantly, the warm Presence and
life-giving energy that is always there when we tune out the distractions,
quiet our minds, and open our souls.
Original photo - covered bridge over the Wissahickon Creek, Fairmont Park, Philadelphia, PA
Original photo - covered bridge over the Wissahickon Creek, Fairmont Park, Philadelphia, PA
