Lesson of the Five Balls revisited

This was written by Brian G. Dyson the CEO of Coca-Cola (from 1988 until 1994). Also used by James Patterson in his writings from Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas but he switched the word Spirit with Integrity.

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – Work – Family – Health – Friends – Spirit, and you're keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.

They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.

How?

1. Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
2. Do not set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
3. Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
4. Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.
5. Do not give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
6. Do not be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us together.
7. Do not be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
8. Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
9. Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.
10. Do not forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
11. Do not be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
12. Do not use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.