 "I used to be caught up in the spin cycle of thinking that net worth
automatically afforded me life worth," says Kunath, a speaker at top business
schools and author of "Life ... Don't Miss It. I Almost Did: How I Learned to
Live Life to the Fullest" (www.lifedontmissitbook.com).
"I sacrificed time with my family with the justification that I was providing
necessary material things, but at a certain point you realize that money doesn't
make you rich, it just allows you to buy more stuff."
Priorities for professionals have shifted. U.S. workers now seek family
well-being above all else, he says. Companies need to recognize that it's
imperative to positively affect their employees' lives, both inside and outside
working quarters, he says.
"We need to bring humanity back to business," Kunath says. "Leading
corporations are aware that most professionals today -- 70 percent -- would
trade a pay raise for an increase in personal wellness."
But employers are struggling with that, he says, citing a new American
Psychological Association survey released in March in which 48 percent of
employees say their employers don't value a good work-life balance.
More professionals are trying to find a path to life worth, rather than
centering their behavior on net worth, Kunath says. He offers five ways
career-minded individuals can achieve both:
For Kunath, those signs were clear. One day, he
says, "it was like someone had smacked me on the head," when his son, then
12, walked away in dismay after Kunath said he couldn't play baseball with
him because he was too busy working on a business proposal. "The look of
disappointment on my son's face was something I will never forget," he says.
Kunath dropped everything and spent the day with his son. "I promised that
would NEVER happen again." The next occurrence included a mental and
physical breakdown after Kunath pushed himself to make an unnecessary
business trip while sick. After a 19-hour ordeal in a delayed flight to
Spain, "I knew in my bones that if I did not draw the line right there ... I
would ruin every part of my life that mattered to me."
Don't be an employee, be employable: Unless you
are self-employed, you are always vulnerable to someone else controlling
your professional destiny, and therefore, your life worth. But employees can
empower themselves by diversifying their skills so that they can have more
choices about where and for whom to work.
[to top of second column] |
-
Bad things
happen to good people: Adversity finds us all. No one enjoys
the worst, most painful moments of their lives. Nonetheless,
life events like loss of a loved one, financial ruin, divorce,
addictions or illness tend to define us. We need adversity in
our lives. Anyone can be a rock star when life is perfect. But
when adversity strikes, then the "real" you is revealed. How you
face adversity can either extinguish you or distinguish you.
-
Believe in
something bigger than you: There will be times when you are
utterly helpless, with no control over an outcome. All the money
in the bank and all the authority at work will do no good when
it comes to, for instance, the death of a loved one. Believing
in something bigger than you is an important part of having life
worth; it helps you maintain your emotional health when you face
life's biggest challenges.
-
Don't major in the
minors: As Henry David Thoreau wrote, "The price of anything
is the amount of life you exchange for it." For every evening
spent late in the office there are moments professionals miss
out on -- and can never get back. Many of us spend time on
things that ultimately don't matter. "The three greatest gifts
you can give to your family are time, memories and tradition,"
he says. "These are things in life that matter."
___
Gary Kunath is the founder of The Summit Group, which is ranked
among the top sales-training companies in the world by Selling Power
magazine. His value-creation approach received the Innovative
Practice of the Year Award by 3M worldwide. He was named Businessman
of the Year for the United States and was recognized a dinner hosted
by the president of the United States. He has lectured extensively
at several prominent business schools, and he is currently an
adjunct professor at The Citadel's Sports Marketing graduate
program. Kunath is as an owner of several professional minor league
baseball teams along with his partners, Bill Murray, Jimmy Buffet
and Mike Veeck. The group is famous for managing its teams around
the "Fun is Good" approach.
[Text from file received from
News and Experts]
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