I don't know about anyone else, but I've been operating at one speed these past two weeks, and that is overdrive. That has put me into one single mental state: overwhelm. Can you relate?

Since I seem to be perpetually doling out advice to clients, I find it important to at least attempt to practice what I preach. So having said that, I'll admit that juggling everything has been a wee bit of a challenge. Good thing that I'm so resilient said tongue-in-cheek.

Which reminded me of a passage that I read in a James Paterson book, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. (Shocker! It's not a business book.) In it the main character is talking about recovering from a heart attack at age 35. A doctor friend told her the story of five balls and, for a rather mindless fiction book, I thought the story was, and is, still relevant.

The story of the five balls goes like this. You imagine that life is a game in which you are required to juggle five balls. The balls are the usual suspects: work, family, health, friends and integrity. (Well, maybe the integrity ball surprised you but it's especially relevant now more than ever, given today's business environment.) Your job is to keep all the balls in the air, but then you realize that not all the balls are the same. Hmm...

The work ball is made of rubber. So guess what? If you drop that one, it will bounce right back. (Be careful that it doesn't hit you!) The other balls, however, are made of glass. That's right. If you drop your family, health, friends or integrity, they could become scuffed, nicked, and even damaged beyond repair. Not good, right? 

The idea is that once you begin to understand the lesson of the five balls, then you will finally have balance in your life. (Or, if you're a slow learner, a lot of shattered balls!)

I don't believe in balance per se, I believe in integration. But the message of the five balls still resonated with me because, on occasion, even I have dropped a few balls, often the non-work variety. Enough said.

Have you ever dropped a few balls? Share your comments here.