Stories have surfaced this week (commencing 22 July 2007) of two celebrities who highly value work life balance. Hollywood film director Scott Hicks will be known to many of my international readers. The other is Steve Bracks, who, until this week, has been the Premier (Chief Minister) of the State of Victoria here in Australia.
Scott works in Los Angeles of course but lives 16 hours flying time away - here in the gentle hills outside of my own city of Adelaide Australia. He even pedals his bicycle to the CBD of Adelaide, through our beloved historic parklands, when he needs to work here. The value of the yin yang means that much to him. i.e.:
– the energy that the peaceful Adelaide Hills environment generates to sustain his creative efforts in the pressure-cooker world of Hollywood, and
- ‘complementary opposites’ – opposite home and work environments that mutually support each other.
None of the passengers of the 9/11 flights who could make a phone call called their office. They all realized that, when the chips are down, they value their loved ones far more than their jobs. Victoria's Premier Steve Bracks came to that realization this week when his son was charged with a serious drink driving offence. Steve had given body and soul to his job as Premier for eight years but saw the danger of completely losing touch with his family.
These are just two isolated examples of how people in high places see the need to have a life outside of work if they want to survive and thrive in the 21st century. Scott Hicks and Steve Bracks are two celebrities who know what it means to enjoy the true riches of life.
