Integrate…

Great lives are NOT seeking balance – they integrate. Our trip to Europe has been all about integrating work and life. Arrived three weeks ago this Thursday. Left that Sunday to work until Thursday in London. Arrived back in Berlin and left to hang with the family around Bracken mountain in the heart of Germany. We played as a family and I trained for three days climbing the tallest mountain in the region each day. Back in Berlin for the past ten days playing with the family while talking to clients and training when the baby naps. Been amazing. Slept in each morning with Miss. Haven’t been lazy with her like this in 42 years. She’s cycled with me nearly every day. Never had so much fun going slow and taking in the sights with her.

Today, I’ll have seven practices (via phone and zoom) with clients back in the States. Will be a long day playing with clients and enjoying opus. Tuesday, we depart for Geneva as a family. We’ll enjoy Wednesday wandering around the city and then on Thursday head for Lake Annecy and the eight day torture test in the French Alps. It will be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, physically. I’ll think about turning left more than once or twice. I’ve preloaded my response when the tiny twigs object. I will tell them to keep working. Focus my mind on the next switch back and never look for the top. I’ll settle in for the long climb and glance left and right to take in the beauty. I’ll call out to my friends whenever I see them and imagine how good the beer will taste at the end of the day. And, I’ll practice some work opus at the end of each of the last four days. I’ll Integrate. Not sure if this is work or play. Hope it appears to be both. Sure feels like it to me. Damn.

Are your CORE purposes clear enough for you to integrate work and life? Is it time for more clarity with one or the other? Chronos is ticking away. Are you creating enough kairos to clear the mind of coming regret. Slow down. Integrate. Good.

Live hard. Love harder…