Follow the bouncing ball

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and 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.”
Brian Dyson.

OSS projects can become incredibly demanding at times, especially the large ones. They do have a tendency to divert all your attention onto them during critical periods. At least it has for me on almost every OSS project that I’ve done.

Brian Dyson’s analogy of work being a bouncy ball might put some perspective on what’s really important.

I remember one OSS project where a refocus was needed, and more than any other time in my career it felt like I was burning bridges. As it turned out, another OSS opportunity presented itself. The rubber ball did bounce back on that occasion.

What is your view on Dyson’s theory?

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