Last week, I represented my company at the "Redefining Success: An Evening with Arianna Huffington" event hosted at Princeton University by the Princeton Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Alliance. Arianna Huffington is the Editor-In-Chief of The Huffington Post, one of the first internet-only newspapers created back in 2005. I'm all for empowering women to succeed in life and the office, so I was particularly excited for this event!
photo credit: screenshot of Princeton University's Live Streaming of the event
The discussion, moderated by Anne-Marie Slaughter, was prompted by Huffington's new book Thrive: The Third Metric of Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder. I haven't read the book yet, but it's focused on the importance of work-life balance and redefining our perception of success.
As a yogi, I have been a strong believer in leading a balanced life and the notion that everything, including work, is quality over quantity. But our American culture focuses strongly on a "work hard, play hard" mentality. This, combined with the modern technology that allows workers to plug-in remotely, blurs the lines of career and personal lives and makes it difficult for people to separate the two.
photo credit: screenshot of Princeton University's Live Streaming of the event
As Huffington shared in the discussion- earlier in her career, she was so focused on work that she failed to take proper care of herself. Her overtired and overworked body collapsed one day, landing her in the hospital. This was a rude awakening for her to take the time to nurture her mind, body, and soul- something often forgotten in the hustle and bustle of everyday life for most. Huffington advised us to "stop and breathe," saying it seems obvious but it's a common habit of successful people.
One thing Huffington said that really resonated with me was, "We [women] don't just want to be on top of the world. We want to change the world." That's what this life is about, isn't it? It's about leaving your mark on the world and inspiring others. It's easy to forget this! She put it so simply by pointing out what people share in eulogies. You never hear "he increased market share for his company" or "she never stopped working, even ate lunch at her desk every day" mentioned at a funeral. It's always about what kind of person the individual was and how other people remember them.
“We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in.” - Arianna Huffington, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder
“According to a study from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, sleep deprivation reduces our emotional intelligence, self-regard, assertiveness, sense of independence, empathy toward others, the quality of our interpersonal relationships, positive thinking, and impulse control." - Arianna Huffington, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder
The truth here is that balance is so important for your physical, mental, and emotional health. I challenge you- take that lunch break, take that evening to get lost in a book or movie, embed time into your schedule for you. By doing this, it will give you the energy and mental power to be the star in your own life and in the office. You can have it all!
