A Simple Way to Think About Our Life Balance
A simple analogy about life balance has been shared in wellbeing conversations for many years – and it still resonates today.
In 1991 in a well-known speech by Brian Dyson, a former CEO of Coca Cola, said,
“Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air: work, family, health, friends, and spirit.
The balls are all different; some are rubber and some are glass.“
Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.
Deadlines can move. Emails can wait. Projects can restart.
Family, friends, health and spirit are glass balls. If you drop them, they can break – and can be very difficult to repair.
In our busy lives it’s easy to feel like we must keep every responsibility perfectly balanced. Work, commitments, home life, and expectations all compete for our attention.
Balance isn’t about keeping every ball in the air
Instead, it’s about knowing which balls matter most when life gets busy. Knowing what matters most helps us protect the things that truly sustain us.
Some things can wait. A meeting can be rescheduled. A task can be finished tomorrow.
Balance isn’t about perfection – it’s about priorities.
Because in the end, it’s rarely the perfectly managed schedule we remember. It’s the moments we chose to protect.
Time with the people who matter, looking after our health and wellbeing
– they’re not easily replaced.
This simple analogy is a reminder:
Guard the glass. Let the rubber bounce.
