Click "read more" to access additional resources, including a transcript of this program.

Click "Read more" to access additional resources: 

1. Sponsor: My Baby's Family.
2. Transcript of this show.

Click "Read more" to access additional resources: 

1. Sponsor: My Baby's Family.
2. Kenny Chesney's "There Goes My Future."
   
3. Transcript of this show.

Click "Read More" to access a transcript of this show.

In today's debut episode of the In Business For Life podcast, Brad Lindemann interviews Deidra Bekele of "My Baby's Family," a new and innovative adoption education ministry based in Indianapolis, Indiana. For more information visit www.MyBabysFamily.com.

About In Business For Life (IBFL): IBFL takes a winsomely positive stand in the marketplace for the sanctity of life. The cornerstone of such a stand is this self-evident truth: As adoptions become common and abortions rare, America becomes more free...more brave...and more blessed. Listen to the IBFL show on your favorite podcast platform or at www.InBusinessForLife.org.

Can we talk about life balance? Or, perhaps better stated, is there any way to avoid talking about life balance? It’s all the rage you know. Just ask the nearest Millennial (born between 1981 and 2000) their thoughts on work and you’ll soon hear something akin to “I work to live…I don’t live to work.”

This may be one of the few things that Millennials and their employers consistently agree upon. The other being that Millennials are “special.” Yep, not many in my children’s generation “work for the man.” They seem to prefer to work for themselves on the man’s dime. Unless of course, they’re working to become the next dot-com billionaire, so work-life balance gets tossed out with last night’s leftover pizza stepped on while rolling out of their cot at the office.

Doing your best means giving your best effort with the best possible attitude, recognizing that both are always within your control. Doing your best means working hard and smart, while living a balanced life. Working hard does not mean over-working to the neglect of one’s health, family and other higher priorities. Working hard does mean that, for brief seasons, life balance may be impossible to maintain, but we are deeply committed to restoring it as soon as possible.

Much of what I’ve said to our five children during my 39 years of fatherhood has fallen upon deaf and distracted ears. There is one thing, however, that to this day each of them can recite at gunpoint. I can see them now with their eyeballs rolling back into their heads whenever I would ask them my favorite question, “What are the only two things that you can always control in life?” They’d bemoan their reply (think Eeyore to Pooh), “Yeah Dad, we know…effort and attitude.” “That’s right, kids!” I’d say. “Everything else is partially or completely out of your control.”
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I’ve thought about my 1-2 effort-attitude punch a great deal over nearly four decades now. It may be slightly overstated, but not by much. I like it for two primary reasons. First, it takes away any excuses for not giving your best effort while having the best possible attitude. It’s simply unacceptable to do otherwise, because both are completely in your control. Second, it helps you stay laser-focused on that which you can control, so you don’t have time or energy to worry about the myriad of things you can’t.