July 5, 2006
 
CAREERS: Keeping Your Work in Perspective
 
By M.B. Owens
Scripps Howard News Service
 
Of course your job is important. For some people work is almost their total life, and for a while that might bring contentment. But not in the long run. To be happy you need a balanced life with family, friends and outside activities. And don't forget the spiritual side.
 
Sooner or later something is going to happen to make you see a balanced life is the best way to live. It may take the death of a family member or friend. Or it may take the death of several or a disaster such as a devastating hurricane or flood. Then you will stop and take a look at who you are and what life is about.
 
What made me stop and think were several occurrences in less than 60 days. First, a long time family friend that my wife and I went to social events with had a reoccurrence of liver cancer. Experimental treatment slowed the spread of the disease down but could not stop it. With his wife, family and friends at his bedside he finally passed away after only a few months. He was the owner of his own mortgage business where he spent many long hours making it successful. Fortunately, he had learned to get out and enjoy his success. He had a motorcycle and took weekend trips and spent a lot of time with his family. Of course, he wished he had spent more.
 
Not long after that I went unannounced to speak with my attorney who was working on a civil suit for me. He was also a friend. When I walked into the office suite I noticed the lights were out in his office and his assistant's office. Papers were stacked up on their desks. I asked the only person in the office area (a new intern for the other attorneys with offices in the suite) when my friend would be back. He looked at me kind of strange and repeated my attorney friend's name twice to make sure we were talking about the same person. And he then said, "I am sorry, but he had a massive heart attack while coming back from depositions when out of town last month and died."
 
The intern obviously saw the shock on my face and tried to assist me by asking me to have a seat and giving me a glass of water. After a few minutes I was able to leave.
 
The next incident involved my father. Now retired, he works one day a week (for a few hours) at an international airport in Virginia assisting travelers at an information booth in the terminal. I just happen to be visiting my parents that week. I live in another state. We got a call from the airport management that may father was ill and we needed to come pick him up. His heart rate was up and his blood pressure was down. We took him to the ER and waited six hours for him to be monitored, treated and released. Unfortunately, he didn't get any better the next day, but we had to wait until the weekend was over before we could get an appointment with his internist.
 
Finally, when we took him to see the internist we discovered it wasn't just his heart. My father had had a stroke and now is in therapy to help him with his speech. Obviously, it is difficult seeing your father having difficulty speaking.
 
The point is your life can be changed so quickly.
 
Life is worth experiencing and enjoying. Don't waste it all on your job. Try and develop a balance existence. You may one day be glad you did.
 
M.B. Owens is president of a career consulting company. E-mail him at usajoblocator1@yahoo.com.