The highest priority in life

A hundred years from now
it will not matter what my bank account was,
the sort of house I lived in,
or the kind of car I drove.
But the world may be different,
because I was important in the life of a child (Forest Witcraft)

The last month was quite hectic for me. Lots of projects required my attention, both in private life as in business. My work-life balance was under quite some pressure.

This week I had a nasty cold and didn’t feel too well. I think I was running a fever and was using one Kleenex tissue after the other. Smell and taste were also gone for a couple of days. This is the usual signal for me that I stretched it too far and need to slow down, recharge and get some rest. I know my body is delivering me a message and I need to take this seriously.

While cleaning up some files on my computer I found a photo of my little girl Rosanne. I remember taking this photo around her 2nd birthday and was struck (again) by the beauty of the composition. While looking at her photo I realized nothing is more important to me than seeing a smile on Rosanne’s face. I hope I will be around for a very long time to see that smile. That’s why I’m listening to my body if it’s giving me a signal to slow down.

Work is important, I like what I do. I also love to write for this blog, Personal Development is my passion and I love to share it with others. But my highest priority in life is with my family, with my wife Sigrid and daughter Rosanne. Nothing is more important than that. What good can I do if I’m never around and work all the time? What good can I do if I ignore my highest priority in life?

If you’ve read my article Feel Like a Child, Be a Child you already know that I think children are our greatest teachers. They teach us how to live in the moment, they teach us how to have fun and they teach us what our real priorities are. Rosanne is my teacher, my little Buddha. Right now she is teaching me what my priorities are and what is really important and what is not.

This article is dedicated to you Rosanne. I love you and I promise you to make enough time for you. I promise you to take care of myself. You are my highest priority in life. I promise you to be important in your life and be there whenever you need me.

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8 comments… add one
  • Fatima Da Oct 18, 2009 @ 20:12

    How Sweet..lovely story..thanks for sharing…..

  • Jason Cooper Oct 18, 2009 @ 22:55

    As you know, Patrick, I feel just the way about my family, especially my little Baby J.

    Life is short, so savor every spare moment you can on what should be the most important thing in your life…Football…oops, I meant family 🙂

  • jonathan Oct 19, 2009 @ 8:17

    Nice piece – Thanks for opening up so much

  • Benjamin Oct 19, 2009 @ 8:22

    Beautiful, Patrick!

    I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it to you, but my wife is due with our first in March.

    The little Buddha is already teaching me from within the womb.

    Everything has to be taken a bit more seriously… while simultaneously I must maintain a more loving sense of humor…

    If only we were willing to lovingly create such an amazing environment for learning for everyone (myself included).

    The beautiful thing about giving and loving is you can truly benefit regardless of what the response may be…

    And the awe of children tends to make the experience that much more powerful… 🙂

    keep smiling,

    Ben

  • BK Oct 19, 2009 @ 15:37

    When we really listen, the Universe does speak to us in different ways. And I totally agree with you that children taught us a lot especially about how we were once unafraid of picking ourselves up from falls.

  • nothingprofound Oct 21, 2009 @ 0:45

    Enjoy every day of it, Patrick! They grow up awfully fast and, once they’re teenagers, it’s never the same.

  • Lou Macabasco Nov 19, 2009 @ 15:26

    Nice realization. 🙂 We share the same belief, that children are great reminders for us to live our life to the fullest today, not tomorrow. Most of us forget the most important things in life, our family and loved ones, because we’re busy “working” to provide. But it’s the simple things, like time for them, that matters most in our life.

  • Tamal Krishna Chandra Feb 14, 2011 @ 19:17

    Truly nice realization. Thanks for sharing your views in this way. Feeling for someone in this way is unique.

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