“If you’re in a business program, you would know that when you invest, you have to have a portfolio, and you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. … Maybe we should have a balanced portfolio for our lives the way we do for our investments. Roughly 25 percent of our time and energy should be devoted to our health and spirituality, so running is a great thing to do. What makes it even better is you put it into context and say, ‘I may not run a marathon, but if I’m only doing two days a week, I’m going to go to three days a week.’ You set a measurable goal that’s not overwhelming. This goes for relationships, too. Whatever your relationships are, you need to invest in them. … So what happens when you have this balance? If you have a bad day at work or at school, then you still see progress in other areas of your life. It’s still important, but it’s not overwhelming. You're not off your game.”
-- Leo Flanagan, founder of the Center for Resilience in New York, at a presentation sponsored by Penn State Student Affairs and the Jana Marie Foundation at the Nittany Lion Inn on Nov. 11. The Center for Resilience was founded to help professionals thrive under pressure and integrates research to provide the tools to reduce stress and improve productivity. Flanagan is a clinical psychologist and a former executive with a top global investment bank. View “Candid Conversation” videos with Flanagan on the Jana Marie Foundation YouTube page.