From the President's Desk: The Importance of Balance

Last month, I took my last Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class. It was a bittersweet moment. As our professor placed stripes on the belts of those of us who earned them over the past year, he also shared his usual pearls: martial arts is about balance. It cannot be all about training because we could then let other areas of priority in our lives slip (e.g., work, school, chores, family, friends, relationships, health).

For weeks now, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the importance of balance. Training in martial arts has helped me find my balance for the past 10 years, and I can’t help but think about my professor’s wisdom and the parallels of it to our personal lives and our work in the public relations and communications industry.

We might be public relations practitioners or communicators in trade, but we cannot be our work. Otherwise, we risk letting the other areas of our lives slip. The parts that allow us to bring our authentic selves, our different perspectives and life experiences, and our hobbies and hidden talents that make up the whole of us. Those are the parts that help make each of us more nimble, versatile and valuable in our professions.

I imagine many if not all of us enjoy what we do but can easily have our days consumed by it. Many of us may have dedicated long days and late nights to our work, letting it pull us away from our family, friends and other obligations. And, many of us may have allowed what we do invade our headspace during the “off” hours, distracting us from fully enjoying the present. I know I have done all of the above at some point, may continue to do so to some degree, and I’m still working on fully enjoying the present.

What I am grateful for are my mentors and peers who also have kept me present and balanced in my personal life and career, sharing their insights and wisdom with me over the years. Much like my fellow Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classmates, I’ve also formed a camaraderie with a number of PRSA Chicago colleagues who remind me that some things that knock me off balance might not be under my purview or control. So, it’s to our benefit to continuously strike that work-life balance that makes sense for each of us because it’s important for the development of the whole of us—the whole employee.

I am a work in progress. Let’s choose to work on a more balanced year together.
For me, committing to attend events helps me strive to maintain the balance I am so craving. I hope you’ll join me at one of our upcoming PRSA Chicago events, details below.

Kick-off 2024 with a Membership Networking Event
Those that know me know that some of my favorite things include fellowship with those in the public relations/communications industry, and breaking bread over delicious food. And, Manny's Cafeteria & Delicatessen certainly qualifies as delicious!

Join PRSA Chicago and kick off 2024 with our first networking event of the year. Appetizers will be provided by Manny’s and a cash counter service also will be available. I look forward to seeing/meeting those in attendance on Wednesday, February 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM CT.

Yours in service,
Kayee Ip
2024 Chapter President
PRSA Chicago

Kayee welcomes communication from PRSA Chicago members. Write to her at [email protected].