The following illustration says a lot about life and learning from our
mistakes. It comes out of a university commencement address many, many
years ago by Brian Dyce, who at that time was the CEO of Coca Cola
Enterprises. He spoke about the relationship of work to one's other
commitments.
"Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls in
the air. You can name them--work, family, health, friends, and
spirit--and you're keeping all of these in the air and you will soon
understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it'll bounce
back; but the other four balls--family, health, friends, and spirit--are
made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably
scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They'll never be
the same, and you must understand that and strive for the balance of
your life.
"How? Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with
others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. Don't
set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what
is best for you. Don't take for granted the things that are closest to
your heart. Cling to them as you would your life; for without them, life
is meaningless. Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living
in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time,
you live all the days of your life. Don't give up when you still have
something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop
trying. Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect--it is
this fragile thread that binds us to each other. Don't be afraid to
encounter risk--it is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find--the
quickest way to receive love is to give, and the fastest way to lose
love is to hold it too tightly, and the best way to keep love is to give
it wings. Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where
you've been but also where you're going. Don't forget that a person's
greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. Don't be afraid to
learn--knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don't use time or words carelessly; neither can be retrieved. Life is
not a race but a journey to be savored each step of the way. Yesterday
is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That's why we
call it the present."
