I’m here to speak with you today about two of the most important and powerful words in the English language — work and play. Striking the right balance between these two things has everything to do with your happiness and success.
We are introduced to the concepts of play and work at an early age. Typically, we think of play as being fun and work as being an essential. Work can tend toward a negative connotation, but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. And really, you can’t “play” a game well, unless you’ve put work into the skills of the game. And you’re more likely to enjoy your work, if you can sometimes experience it as “play.”
Neither “all work and no play” nor “all play and no work” results in a balanced and meaningful life. So it becomes necessary and useful for us to explore the relationship of work and play that makes sense in our lives. The ratio will be different for each of us and it may change at different points in our lives, but our awareness of this balance, or perhaps lack of it, can help make life better.
In addition to his extensive fitness experience, having managed, coached, and trained in the private health club and non-profit industries, Eric has been a long-time instructor of Western boxing, most recently as boxing coach for the Denver Athletic Club. In 2011, Eric was selected to serve as a trainer in the nationally televised series I Used to Be Fat on MTV. Eric is also a published author and regular contributor to Breaking Muscle, Muscle & Performance, and Whole Life Challenge.
Eric is originally from Portland, Oregon and is a graduate of the University of San Diego. Since 2003, Eric has been a nationally certified personal trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
