A Balanced Life

By Bob Proctor

In his publication Better Families, Dr. J. Allan Petersen quotes C. Peter McColough of Xerox who says, "I look for breadth of interest.  Individuals with broad interests are best able to perform within a company today.  We face many societal changes, and a broad outlook and encompassing overview are more pertinent than the traditional circumscribed career preparation.  Perhaps one of the most important qualities a man or woman can possess is balance.  That simply means that one doesn't go off the deep end.  You balance your life with wives, husbands, children, recreational activities, hobbies, physical programs and community involvement.  To get off in one area or another, I think, is a mistake and will lead to trouble."

Research is conclusive that the more broad, general knowledge an individual has, the more balanced he or she will be in life.  Interestingly enough, it also conclusively proves that those people with a broad range of knowledge are the most creative in the solution of problems, not only in the corporate world, but in their personal and family lives as well.  When our analytical left brain is supplied with a broad range of information, when we encounter problems which we've never encountered before, or when we meet unique opportunities, the broader that range of knowledge, the more creative we are in the solution to the problem itself or on the capitalizing of any new opportunity that presents itself.

Now, combine this broad range of knowledge with an ever-growing increase in knowledge, and exciting things really happen.  The new input of knowledge into the mind stirs up all of the old input and when new information meets old information, they get together and create new concepts and ideas.  The message is clear: Broaden your range of interests; live a balanced life; continue to grow in information and knowledge and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP in all areas of your life.

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