Life is about finding the perfect balance. In life, too much or too little causes unbalance. A beautiful thing usually remains balanced from all aspects. Life is about staying on the middle path for balance between holding or letting go. A balanced life covers many areas, such as trying hard continuously or giving up quickly, doing things ruthlessly or compassionately, and loving someone wholeheartedly or cautiously. I know many successful businessmen or wealthy women who sacrificed their health or loved ones because they spent time, energy, and resources on business, hobbies, or money-making activities. They did not find the balance between life and business. Almost all of them felt sorry or lived with regrets eventually. Balance your life now before it is too late.
Life is about happiness and satisfaction. As an executive coach, I have asked the following questions to many business professionals from all over the world, covering various industries and business sectors. Are you satisfied with what you do now? Are you happy with yourself and others in your life? Do you know what makes you happy? Are you committed to making others happy? Are you satisfied with your life now? Why are you not delighted? Why are you not happy? Do you know what is missing in your life? Have you ever loved yourself before? Do you know how to love others unconditionally? You might be surprised that over 90% of the people gave me negative answers. Yes, they have everything ordinary people want in life, but they are not satisfied, not happy, and don’t know the reason. So, life is a journey of finding the true meaning of happiness and satisfaction.
Life is about celebrating every moment between birth and death. You felt devasted when you failed to achieve a particular goal. You lost hope for the future and trust in others when somebody cheated you badly. You lived in guilt after hurting someone unintentionally. You might feel terrible and have many regrets due to a breakup with a loved one. You cannot get back the time once lost. Slight negligence sometimes results in a significant difference to your life. These sad feelings and unsatisfied events are a part of life. Nobody can change what happened, but everybody can stop wasting precious feelings and time crying over a loss or a bad experience. Bad things can happen to us. Some people may leave us. After all, we came to this world alone and with nothing, and we will leave this life to go back to the eternal world after we die. People in our lives are co-explorers between birth and death, and our experiences are precious memories of the life journey.
Duo: I have a clear memory of a moment when I was six years and two months old. My pregnant mother was crying in pain the whole morning, and I did not understand what happened to her; but I did know there was baby in her tummy. My father drove mom and me to the hospital, and mom cried the whole time breathlessly in the car. I started to cry very loudly too just because of the sad look on her face. I sat in the waiting area with my father for several hours while my mom was in surgery delivering her second baby. That waiting seemed the longest time to me, I was scared and worried I might not see my mother again. My father looked very nervous too. Finally, I saw my mom lying on a bed, exhausted, but she smiled at me and said, “you got a baby sister, sweetheart; you are a big brother now." At that moment, I still did not understand what happened, but looking at the baby girl in mom's arms, made me extremely happy and satisfied. The scene of looking at my newborn sister and holding her tiny hands for the first time appeared in my dreams many times after growing up as a young man. Life is bliss, and mothers are gifts from God for all children on earth.
Xia: I was sent to Singapore to boarding school from China when I was 14. That was the first time I moved away from my parents, relatives, good friends, and the house where I grew up. I was not allowed to use my cellphone during the week, but I had one hour every night between 7-8 to use email. Living in another country with new teachers and classmates made me lonely and depressed, and receiving emails from my parents and friends made me very happy. I realized the importance of family while reading emails; feelings I never had before. Six months after I left home, I had the chance to see my father at the airport for seven hours during his flight stop-over to New York. I was counting the hours and minutes until I’d see him again, but the flight was late. I cried and hugged him so hard when I finally saw him walking out of the exit door after three hours of waiting. At that time, looking at my father's tired face with red eyes from the long flight, I knew how much I loved my family. I had taken my parents for granted without gratitude for what they had done for me until that day. I had complained to them for sending me to Singapore. For me, life is about realizing that family is everything.
To Be Continued.