Don't chase what you can't catch

If you find yourself being consumed by your work and worrying about the un-changeable, take a read of 🇺🇦 Eddie Shleyner’s recent micro-essay.

After some valued time away, Eddie recalls a talk that former Coca-Cola CEO Brian Dyson gave to graduates in Atlanta, that puts everything into perspective.

👉 Brian asked the audience to imagine life in the form of juggling five balls. And none of them can fall to the ground.

The five balls were work, family, health, friends and spirit.

🏀 Every ball was made of glass except the work ball, which was rubber.

If this ball falls, it bounces. Intact and unbroken.

😶 But if one of the glass balls falls, it will never be the same.

So what was Dyson getting at?

⛅️ Through all the trials and tribulations, work always ‘rebounds’.

If a glass ball falls, it’s impossible to make it entirely whole again. It’ll be cracked, missing pieces, and visibly damaged.

⚖️ Creative people often risk dropping a glass ball in the pursuit of legacy, pride and status. Which is one small slip of concentration away from irreversible damage.

But the one thing that Brian hailed as his true source of happiness and wealth, was balance.

It resonated with Eddie, likely with the graduates, too. And it definitely hit me for six.

What do you think of Dyson’s advice?

Do you find yourself almost dropping one of the glass balls in an effort to save the one that always bounces back?

Thanks for reading — and be sure to check out VeryGoodCopy and 🇺🇦 Eddie Shleyner, he’s a bit of a legend.

P.S. Dyson’s anecdote and Eddie’s retelling reminded me of Ellie’s story arc in The Last of Us Part 2 (no spoilers, but if you know, you know).