Toastmasters International -

As I visit Districts around the world, whether online or in person, I am frequently asked how I balance my life.

How do I balance the demands of being International President with being a father and a grandfather, as well as running my business?

For years I struggled to achieve balance in my life, because I realized that I was always out of balance. Some part of my life, whether it was family, work, or another organization, was always taking priority, and I felt guilty. I felt inadequate.

Eventually, I came to embrace a different concept, one I’d like you to consider: the concept of harmony.

Now, why did I choose harmony? One reason is I am a musician, as you may remember from my September profile. Another reason for choosing this concept is because harmony is motion. Music is motion. Music is actually the vibration in the air that lands on our ears, and our brains translate that into something that we call music.

Life is motion. Life is not static; it is constantly changing. We are growing. We are resting. We are continuing to evolve.

So that concept and that parallel really worked for me.

But the most important reason I chose harmony is because of the role of the composer. We are the composers of our own life. We make the choices about which parts of our life will take priority, just like a composer makes a choice about which part of the orchestra will play the melody at any given time.

Life is motion. Life is not static; it is constantly changing.

That’s the concept that works for me. The concept that says it’s okay that this year being International President is taking priority, and at times that means I need to step away from work, and other times I need to step away from family.

The people in my life know that, and they support me. They understand that this is the current movement in my life. When my time on the Board of Directors is through, Toastmasters will take a much lower priority in my life.

What about you? Are you struggling with balancing your life? Are you struggling with feelings of guilt because something is taking priority, and you always think something else also needs attention?

I’d encourage you to consider the concept of harmony—of integrating your work, your life, your other actions into a whole symphony that demonstrates who you are.

Get the buy-in of those around you and become the composer of your own symphony.