Good Times, Bad Times, You Know I've Had My Share. Learn From Your Highs and Lows. Things just aren't always in perfect synch all of the time, which is why you have to enjoy the good moments when you can.
By Jim Joseph
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I'm having a pretty good run these days. I love my job, our agency is doing quite well, and my two now adult children are in the prime of their college and graduate school careers.
These are some good times.
But, I've been around long enough to know that the good times don't last forever. Things just aren't always in perfect synch all of the time, which is why you have to enjoy the good moments when you can.
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Our agency just won "Large Agency of the Year" from the Sabre Awards last week. The win is a moment in time that I will enjoy the rest of my career... and the same is true of my colleagues. The award is a signal to me that our work is in synch.
My daughter is off to Europe for a study abroad program for her masters degree in marriage and family therapy. She just finished her first semester of graduate school after moving across the country to San Diego. She's in the prime of her life.
My son finished his third year of college with his best grades yet, and is about to start a second summer internship in Manhattan. He's studying business, and he gets to practice it a bit between semesters.
Life just doesn't get better.
But it can't always be this way. It's impossible for it to always be this way. Which is why you have to enjoy the ride when you are on a high, because it won't last forever. And you're going to need these fond memories to get you through the bad times of life.
Because the good times simply can't last forever.
I've had my share of bad times -- all of us have had our share.
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Raising two kids as a single dad, or as any kind of parent, is bound to produce some tough times. Throw in a challenging career in New York, a divorce and a personal crisis or two, and there's enough drama for a Broadway Show. Or at least a roller-coaster book, one that I released just months ago called Out and About Dad.
But just like the good times, the bad times won't last that forever. It's critically important to remember that too.
Even when I was in the darkest of tunnels, I always saw a light at the end, usually in the form of a helping hand from a colleague at work or relaxation at home. Sometimes along with a glass of wine -- but always with a hug.
If you know me, then you know I'm a hugger. There's a reason why.
The key is to learn from the low points in life. Don't just wallow but figure out what is going wrong and make sure the situation never repeats itself. While the ride might feel like it's bottoming out, you can still get something out of it.
I'm proof that you can happily bounce right out of it, with an upswing into some good times again. If you learn from the bad times.
That's how life works... there are highs and there are lows. The key to managing life's swings is moderation.
Ride the highs with a smile, but don't get too used to the feeling. Don't get too self-assured and confident -- it's going to change. And don't get too down when you're down on your luck. You'll be back in stride as long as you keep your head down and you plow ahead.
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If you get too caught up in the highs or the lows, you won't learn from them and you won't grow. Moderation is key.
