BALANCE
From Page 55
Authenticity
Unpacking the phrase
Buddhism - like Hinduism - is
In both corporate and personal
based upon the principle of cause
coaching, „work/life balance‟ is
(failure) represents outcome or
& effect and centres round the
a popular topic header for clients
result. “Chang” (long) & “duan”
Noble Eightfold Path, The Middle
and one that coaches need to
(short) represent the concept
Way, which is the avoidance of
work hard with their clients in
of the situation (that’s about the
extremes, leading to balance in
terms of unpacking and defining
long and short of it). So maybe to
thought, words and action. In our
the phrase before even attempt-
fully understand certain con-
quest for authenticity in love,
ing to make improvements.
cepts, one needs to locate and
in leadership and in life, we can
Without this review process, both
appreciate its direct opposite.
discover a harmony that is endur-
parties may start walking down
ing, that underlies work, play
the wrong path. Before climbing a
Restoring social order
and all the events and segments
ladder, we need to check its lean-
The Ifaluk are a people that live
in our day,
ing up against
on an Island in the Pacific Ocean,
something
“Words are not truly
the right wall
just a few hundred souls on a
independent
as Stephen
piece of land about half a mile
of the divides
our own. They sit on Covey re-
in diameter. The Ifaluk don’t
we create.
a large menu from
minds us.
approve of anger, so they don’t
have a word for it. They have
There is a flip
which we make
So, work-life
a similar word, and that word is
side to the our selection, in an
balance: a
“song”. If someone on the island
WLB phrase.
harmless label
is in a „state of song‟, they must
attempt to find the
Its alternate
or an influenc-
have a very good reason for it.
implications
right combination
ing phrase
For instance, the person causing
are that our
that suits the way
working
them to experience „song‟ must
“work” finishes
quietly away
have acted in a very immoral way.
we are feeling at
when the bell
in our sub-
Then, the person experiencing
goes. This
any given time.” conscious?
„song‟ must find a way to express
can cause
For me it’s
their feeling in a non-physical,
us to switch
like a dusty
non-violent, controlled manner.
off when we come home and
old jacket that needs replacing.
lose the social disciplines we had
Our lives are surely not divided
And so “song” is a sign that the
at work: politeness, courtesy,
up into two opposing parts. It
social order of the island has
interest in projects of others, for
has to be simply a question of
been disturbed, the equilibrium
instance. This could mean we
balance and what that means to
tipped. Balance is only restored
disconnect from our loved ones
the individual.
when the person causing „song‟
and the lives they are leading. But
has apologized or offered a gift
true balance is „karmic‟: every
or similar. Until then, the person
action performed in one part of David Finney is Managing Director
experiences „metagu‟, and feels
our lives affects another. Every
of The Energy of Conversation
guilt or pressure from the Ifaluk
extra hour at work is one hour
society until making amends. The
which provides corporate and
less with our families. Every extra
conceptual width of balance is
hour in bed could mean one less
personal coaching services. Email:
far-reaching and people have the
working on our goals.
davidfinney@theenergyofconver-
power to create language that
sation.co.uk
suits the world they inhabit.
56
Fall 2009
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