Keeping our balance

I always wonder how Hollywood stars and others manage their lives and careers when they go from obscurity to stardom. All that adulation and fame cannot be easy to handle.

The other day I saw a TV interview of Oscar Isaac, the Guatemalan-born star of the movie Inside Llewyn Davis. He discussed his own early attempts at becoming a musician and talked about his bit roles in other movies. He said when you start out, you take any role you can to get your foot in the door. Of course. I was impressed with his humanity and his humility as he spoke.

But when one of the panel asked him how he managed his new success and all the phone calls he must now be getting for good movie parts, I was especially impressed with his answer. He said, "I can't expect too much." He meant that he wanted to manage his expectations and not let them get out of control.

Ah, yes, there we are again with that word: expectations. It's a real trick to expect enough so that we can push ourselves beyond our comfort zones at times—and yet not have such high expectations that we're constantly depressed when they're not met. Where is the balance?

The balance shifts for you from time to time, depending on so many factors including what stage of life you're in and what the issue is. The balance also is very different from one person to another. Find where you are most comfortable, with just enough tension to keep you alive and passionate about life and also keep you happy and satisfied with your life.