Oh we all know how I can go wild on this topic… For that I will send you to my full take on the matter and my BlogHer post. Yet as I was researching the post I came across a great post by im.seeking.balance that was not only very thoughtful but shared one very important point missed in almost every other article on the topic. That is:
Why we define ourselves by how much money we make and how many people work under us is beyond me. Perhaps it’s peoples’ lack of self-worth that drives them towards needing the approval of others. Perhaps it’s because people are just greedy… but maybe, just maybe, it comes from millions of people looking for the love and approval they should have gotten from their parents but didn’t because they were too busy working.
It’s this defining ourselves by our jobs or money that drives people to jump off buildings when their company closes. I read an article in New York Magazine shortly after the Lehman Brothers collapse that truly made me scratch my head. It was essentially about employees who couldn’t handle the demise of their careers and sudden plummeting salaries. It was as if the world ended, and for them it did. This is the biggest risk of all when it comes to the sole-focus pursuit of the corner office.
What happens if you don’t succeed? Or, what happens if you do? Either way, how much do you like the person you see in the mirror? Do you know who she is? If it all ended today, would you know that you lived a well-lived life that honored your most cherished values?
Those are the REAL questions at stake in this discussion. What is your experience? What are your thoughts on Welch’s comments and work-life balance?
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Yes, work life balance is just a matter of proper prioritizing between career and ambition on one hand, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development on the other.