I was drowned(淹没) in work. I was convinced that it was because my job was demanding, but as I changed my job and eventually became self-employed and I could call my own shots, I was still drowned in work and things were still out of control. Now I come to realize that I have a tendency to drown myself in work and the problem is not the job I’m in.
One of the reasons why work-life balance is hard is that we attribute (把……归咎于) the problem to our environment when we ourselves are the problem actually. I enjoy making my clients happy. “Dushka, your work is unbelievable.” “Dushka, we would not have survived without you.” This is my instinctive (本能的) desire. I, a good girl, should make someone I love proud. What can get in the way of work-life balance is that approval often matters more than the balance I claim I want.
I am ambitious and want to do great things and as soon as a project is done I’m hungry for the next one. I want hard work. I want to push myself and test myself. I want to learn. Sometimes work-life balance is hard because there is a difference between what I say I want and what I really want.
My life is constantly changing. If a friend visits me from out of town I want to work less, if I happen to be particularly inspired I want to work more, and if a family member needs me I don’t want to have to worry about work at all. Work-life balance is hard because my definition of it is a moving target. It means different things to me depending on different situations.
What is work-life balance, anyway? Does it mean I get to go home every day when the clock strikes 5:00 pm? Does it mean that I work hard for a few weeks and then take a long weekend off? Do I want daily balance, or do I want things to balance out over the course of a few weeks, even months?
On one side, work-life balance doesn’t mean that the only way to do something well is to do it yourself. Your ego (自我) gets in the way of your being free. On the other side, work-life balance can be hard if you are worried that someone else can do your job better than yourself. Then you live in a constant state of suspicion (怀疑) and never allow yourself to step away. Your fear is calling the shots, not your ambitions.
Work-life balance can be hard if you are more worried about looking good than doing good work. If you want to make sure everyone sees you are the first one to come and the last one to leave, what others think of you has more weight than your desire of getting home in time for dinner.
My boss assures me that employees come first and that people are the most important, yet I don’t see him telling me it’s time to go home because I worked really late the night before.
Wait a minute. Why should my work-life balance be the company’s problem, in particular when I’ve already identified that my needs are ever-changing? How can I expect someone else to stay on top of that? The only person responsible for that is me.
【小题1】What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?A.Demand less from myself. | B.Pay more attention to work. |
C.Complete more excellent jobs. | D.Control a situation by myself. |
A.she is afraid to lose her job | B.she always desires to be approved |
C.she wants to gain work-life balance | D.she could make a profit in that way |
A.Her ego gets in the way of her success. |
B.She is always satisfied with the current situation. |
C.The achievement of work-life balance is easy for her. |
D.She doesn’t have an exact definition of work-life balance. |
A.Work-life balance relies on our own selves. | B.It’s no use working hard for our boss. |
C.Profits are more important than employees. | D.Some leaders don’t mean what they say. |
What if I miss the early bus? Will I succeed in passing the English exam?
Believe in yourself
The first step to overcome anything is to know about yourself. Once you have some negative ideas, that is to say, you are doubting yourself. You must think you can do it. As you realize your self-doubt, you will get quicker at confirming and stopping it. See?
Take a break
Sometimes it is our mind that goes against us. Wherever you find yourself having doubts, take a break.
Find support
A.Take it easy. |
B.Free yourself. |
C.Give yourself time to think. |
D.It’s not always easy doing things alone. |
E.This is already a step in the right direction. |
F.What if I never find out my life’s purpose? |
G.Because once you give up, no one can help you. |
This past fall, my husband and I stopped into the local Aldi for shopping. While checking out, I did my usual practice of replying to the cashier's usual "How are you today?" with a short but real answer. Then I looked at her and said, "And how are you doing?" and waited kindly and expectantly for an answer.
She was a little surprised, but then she got started. As it turned out, her elderly grandfather was the most important in her mind, but he had been struggling lately and in hospital. Her worry was obvious, despite her bravery. "I know he is ninety-one, but "Her voice turned into a sad whisper before she caught herself." If it won't offend (冒犯) you, I will pray for him," I said. "Oh, thank you!" she replied.
Several weeks or so in the future, we wound up in her line again. After the usual "How are you?" I paused, then quietly asked, "I hope this is not a bad question, but how is your grandfather doing?"
I could tell she had to think a moment to place me and to recall why I was asking. Then her face split into a huge smile full of light, and she started excitedly telling us about how he was a tough old bird, how he had recovered, and was doing well. She kept bubbling over even after we had moved to the bagging area.
I was amazed at how something so seemingly small meant so much to her, but it makes sense, really. Sometimes all we need is for someone to see us and care, to care if we are hurting and to celebrate with us in our joy.
Taking the time to listen when we ask, "How are you?" is such an almost small action only taking a few moments out of our day, yet how important that tiny amount of time can be!
We really are all in this together.
【小题1】Why did the cashier feel a little surprised at the word by the writer?A.Because she didn't know how to answer her greeting at all. |
B.Because she was in deep thought of her grandfather completely. |
C.Because she was praying for her grandfather in the heart then. |
D.Because she hadn't thought the writer greeted her with great concern |
A.Continued bubbling. | B.Talked on and on. |
C.Moved here and there. | D.Greeted to us all the time. |
A.When meeting, greet each other |
B.Greeting warmly, reward fully. |
C.a warm greeting makes a difference. |
D.Treat anybody like your relatives. |
You may probably meet most of the powerful graduation speakers, here who are well-known people in their fields. I think the schools couldn't have picked better speakers than them, because they set good examples,deeply inspiring us in our daily life.
1) Steve Jobs, Stanford University:
"Remembering you're going to die, and the best way I know is to avoid the trap of thinking that you have something to lose. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice... "
2) Oprah Winfrey, Stanford University:
"I consider the world, this Earth, to be like a school... And the secret I've learned to get ahead is being open to the lessons from the grandest universe of all. Don't react against a bad situation. And the solution will arise from the challenge. So don't give up easily, acting with responsibility... "
3) Bono, University of Pennsylvania:
"For four years you've been buying, trading, and selling everything you've got in this market-place of ideas. Your pockets are full, even if your parents' are empty, and now you've got to figure out what to spend it on... The world is more flexible than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape... "
4) Michael Dell, University of Texas at Austin:
"Now it's time for you to move on to what's next and obtain your desire. But you must not let anything prevent you from taking those first steps. Don't spend so much time trying to choose the perfect opportunity, or sometimes you'll miss the right opportunity. Recognize that there will be failures and obstacles. But you will learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others. "
【小题1】Who wants to express "Don't live your life in regret?"A.Michael Dell. | B.Bono. |
C.Steve Jobs. | D.Oprah Winfrey. |
A.To break some of the rules. |
B.To overcome the fear of loss. |
C.To go all out to achieve our goals. |
D.To be brave and keep trying to the end. |
A.listen to their own heart |
B.pursue their own dreams |
C.create their own journey |
D.correct their own mistakes |
A.Some life lessons. |
B.Some well-known people. |
C.Some social skills. |
D.Some effective solutions. |
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