Time to Rebalance???

2006 was an incredible year of personal growth with numerous gifts of insight and understanding. It was also an extremely fun year that I look back on and think, wheeeeee!!!.


Living Well vs. Doing Well
I believe there’s an important distinction between "doing well" and "living well".

I would say that in early 2006 I was "doing well" (nice job, $$$, apartment, car etc). During the first 8 months of 2006 I was working for an insurance company implementing large computer systems. This involved writing system specifications, detailed requirements, test scripts and attending meetings, meetings and, oh, more meetings. It was a very good job in a great company. I was extremely bored. I needed a significant change.

In the last four months I've been "living well" (amazing experiences, adventure, travel, etc). It’s funny…I still have no idea how to respond when people ask me “what I do” here in Barcelona. How should I answer when my life has consisted of traveling and partying? Cop de rauxa is Catalan for a moment of chaotic ecstasy. A constant feeling of chaotic ecstasy sums up my life very well in the past 4 months. I’m not complaining at all because all of this time to think, relax and have fun has contributed to my growth of 2006.

I've been able to live so well here in Barcelona because I saved while I was doing well financially and am a saver (family helps too). I think that being on either end of the “living well/doing well’’ spectrum for too long is unsustainable. Live on one side for too long and you're probably financially well off but unfulfilled and/or bored. Live on the other side and you'll probably have an amazing time, but probably won’t have a strong sense of real purpose and contribution to society.

The question becomes how long is too long on either end of this spectrum? Perhaps 2007 should be geared towards better balancing the chaotic and the boring..."doing well" and "living well". Time will tell what will occur in 2007...

Image by Hugh.