Work-Life Balance

“Life is about using the whole box of crayons” – This quote defines how to live the most precious possession of any living being¹, i.e., life. In a box of crayons, you will find both, your favorite color(s) and also color(s) which you dislike. But to convert a drawing into a picture-perfect painting, you need to strike a balance in the choice of colors to be used for the painting. In doing so, you might definitely end up with using any color which you dislike. The same way, life is all about striking a balance; Where to strike the balance is purely dependent on your intuition. Let us now examine a true incident happened in our very own nation to introduce the topic.

A cut from the past:

In India, during the period of late 1970s, when Janata party came to power defeating the Indian National Congress in the general elections, there was an interesting tale involving the then Minister of External Affairs, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. When he had entered his chamber to take charge of his office, he observed that a portrait of an eminent personality was missing on the walls of the room (he used to visit the same chamber earlier). He immediately ordered his secretary to reinstate the portrait of that eminent personality. That eminent personality was the first Prime Minister of Independent India, Chacha² Jawaharlal Nehru (belonging to Congress). Vajpayee had every reason not to restore the portrait of Nehru, for he was his political rival and her daughter Ms. Indira Gandhi’s Govt. had imprisoned Vajpayee. Yet Vajpayee was keen on reinstating the removed portrait of Jawaharlal Nehru, only for two reasons – One, he had a great respect to Nehru as a person which was evident in his speech in Parliament after Nehru’s death and two, he probably would have wanted the portrait to inspire him for striking a balance in his official work and life like that of Nehru, who was known for striking a great balance between his official work and personal life. This one incident from the recent past brings us to the topic of dealing with the term ‘balance’ between work and life.

Why balance is needed between your work and your personal life?

                

         The ‘work’ relates to your career aspirations while the ‘personal life’ relates to your daily-go lifestyle. There is an adage, “Life is indeed beautiful. It’s times when we sink into our hectic and stressful lifestyles that we are blinded and fail to see what we have”. Maintaining balance in one’s life leads to, as preached in Buddhism, following the path of ‘Ashtangika marga’ in removing the quotient of ‘grief’ in one’s life - in simple words, ‘be balanced, and be joyful’. 

How to?

There are innumerous ways to achieve this balance. Usually, books preach several desiccated methods. But the most ‘practical’ way is to take a cue of the past or do whatever you like to be at peace, as the noted American author Steve Berry once said, “Follow your heart”. 

Mythologies prove that the kings used to unwind themselves from the ruling anxieties by participating in various cultural events of the period. This tradition has been carried from generations to the present day – we witness various cultural events all over the nation in the form of musical concerts, plays, theatre, art, etc… - this becomes one of the channels for providing entertainment to the audience and in doing so, providing the much-need quotient of ‘relief’ in one’s life in the modern world of LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation).

As family is the primary institution of a society, devoting time to one’s family is equally crucial as much (preferably, more) as that of the time one spares on one’s career. The ways can be many (dinners, adventures, outings, holidaying, etc…), but the onus lies on taking the time out from your work to your family. And not to forget that, all in this world are not privileged enough to have a family of their own. For those, the mantra to achieve balance is simple – indulge in an activity that keeps you at peace, here, the onus lies on identifying that activity.

Conclusion:

 “Apnee haalat ka bee ehsaas nahi hai mujhko, meine auron se suna hai ki pareshaan hoon mein...” – meaning which, you do not know your state and it is only after listening from others that you are in a worried state, you came to know you are worried. An individual’s focus in leading a happy life should lie not to be in such state and avoid becoming a victim of the dire situations. The crux of the story boils down to identifying the methods to strike a balance in one’s life, which is imperative to lead a happy life and make one’s life beautiful³.

P.S.:  

1. This write-up discusses only on the life of ‘human beings’.

2.‘Chacha’ should not be read as a ‘title’ to Jawaharlal Nehru because he is referred to as ‘Chacha’ by the children of the nation only out of affection. [Article 18 of Indian Constitution abolishes conferring titles on any citizen of India].

3. Do not look on the other side of ‘beautiful’ because exceptions always exist.