At first glance, the balance beam is by far the most lame piece of playground apparatus. It’s a four-by-four piece of lumber staked into the ground. But add a little imagination (i.e. the surrounding mulch is actually hot lava), and a group of kids will entertain themselves during an entire recess period!

So what happens should someone fall off the beam into the “lava?” Well, that individual experiences the pain of “dying” and being out of the game. That particular student might even experience some actual pain should he fall off and skin his knee. So playing that game, one learns pretty quickly to keep balance.

I see the process of seeking success in much the same way. Keeping life balanced while striving to reach a goal makes the entire “game” much more enjoyable!

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