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Delivering an iconic speech laced with wit and humour to the 2024 graduating class of Dartmouth, Roger Federer shared a life lesson worth imbibing by all professionals.
Here is an insightful excerpt from the lesson: “A tennis court is a small space. 2106 square feet, to be exact. That’s for singles matches. I worked a lot, learned a lot, and ran a lot of miles in that small space. But the world is a whole lot bigger than that. Even when I was just starting out, I knew that tennis could show me the world... But tennis could never be the world.”
Just like a tennis court, our offices and workplaces are also small spaces where we work a lot, learn a lot, and spend major part of our active life. Our work takes us places. But the work is not the world. We should not limit our life to just our job, profession, business, etc. Work, howsoever glorified, is a part of life, not life itself. Roger Federer imbibed this lesson very early in his career. Many of us wake up to this lesson very late in our lives. We become so preoccupied in our work, and in fulfilling our ambitions, that we willy-nilly alienate our family and our friends.
In the same vein Federer waxes eloquent: “Even when I was in the top 5 it was important to me to have a life...a rewarding life, full of travel, culture, friendships, and especially family. I never abandoned my roots, and I never forgot where I came from... But I also never lost my appetite to see this very big world.”
Even when Roger Federer was in the top 5, he did not confine his life to tennis alone. Federer explored the world to the hilt. He never became aloof from his family and friends. In his quest for distinction in the field of tennis, Federer did not abandon his roots.
In our quest for accomplishment in our professional lives, we should not estrange our family and friends. We must spare time for creative activities and for exploring the world beyond our job. Concentrating just on work makes our life lop-sided. We must also invest our time in relationships, health, recreation, social engagements, travel, hobbies, etc. We
should emulate Federer to strike work-life balance.