Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls - family, health, friends, integrity - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.
Interpretation
Work can be recovered if lost, but personal relationships and values are fragile and must be cared for.
In this quote, Gary W. Keller emphasizes the importance of prioritizing aspects of life that are irreplaceable, such as family, health, friends, and integrity. While work can often be recovered or regained, the other four 'glass' balls represent values and relationships that can be damaged or lost forever if neglected, highlighting the need for balance in our lives.
In practice
This quote can inspire a team during a meeting to remind them to balance work and personal life.
People are released from prison so unprepared. They give you $200. We call it gate money. And you have to pay for a bus ticket back to L.A. You get off the Greyhound bus, downtown Skid Row, and you're supposed to make a life from that.
Life is uncharted territory. It reveals its story one moment at a time.
There simply aren't any grand moments in life, and we surely don't live in those moments. No, we live in the utterly mundane. We exist in the bathrooms, bedrooms, living rooms, and hallways of life. This is where the character of our life is set. This is where we live the life of faith.
Liquor is the chloroform which enables the poor man to endure the painful operation of living.
When a person has lived generously and fought fiercely, she deserves more than sadness at the end.
As there begins to be less time ahead of you, you want to be exactly who you are, without making it easier for everyone else.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.