These are all general advice we hear from our friends, families and well-wishers. So much so, that we grow up believing that that is the ideal way we need to live our lives.
If life was a music track, following this mantra would be equal to "All sliders at MAX !!" (Sorry if I got the terminology wrong, but I hope you get the meaning"). Doing so would only induce a cacophony of notes which make no sense and in fact frustrate us rather than please us.
This is what we essentially end up doing by trying to achieve success in all spheres all the time. Little do we realise that in order to promote a note, others need to be mellowed, allowing the one note to shine.
People may argue that multi-taskers should be able to juggle their various pursuits together. If they are not able to, then they are not capable enough. But I argue that in order to achieve success at one point in one sphere, other spheres need to step back for some time. In the same way, in another point of time, another note would shine while the previous high would mellow down.
This balance between the notes, the highs and the lows, the success and the failure, the professional and the personal, the needs and the wants is what creates the beautiful symphony of life. People with sliders at MAX would be noticed by all, but may not leave the best impression or a lasting one at that.
In chess, we have a similar saying, a scenario called Zugzwang. It means when you see no way forward you need to step back and weaken your position so that the play can go on. It is similar to saying that in a maze, though the dead-end you face is the closest to the goal, you will need to turn back from success so that you can find the right path to the centre.
I think we all can use a good stepping back, lift our foot from the pedal for a moment and enjoy the vistas in a more leisurely manner. We will all reach the end eventually, but how many of us would step back on the path before moving forward?
As always, I have more questions than answers, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
