I deeply believe in the importance of “balance” in our lives (you’ll notice I have incorporated it into the tagline of this blog). Living our lives intentionally means we devote time to different elements of life: the productive, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, creative.
Those of you who have read Dr. Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People know that the seventh habit, known as “sharpening the saw”, is about taking a break from our immediate tasks and engaging in self-renewal. Therefore, I will occassionally break from our focus on innovation and leadership to post something that I hope will help you aspire towards a renewed focus in one of these areas.
Since the whole concept of balance is inextricably linked with self-awareness, I start off with a link to a 2005 graduation address delivered by David Foster Wallace concerning the difficulty and importance of maintaining self-awareness in our modern world. Frankly, it’s less of a video than it is an audio recording posted on YouTube with some pictures, so this link is more about listening than watching (I listened to it while taking a walk).
True self-awareness isn’t about over-thinking the day’s events. It’s about breaking free from the “busy-ness” of our lives and challenging the narratives we tell ourselves.
Enjoy.
I am a business leader in the tech industry and write about leadership, innovation, and personal effectiveness. 