"Resilience Requires Happiness"
“Resilience requires happiness,” is a quote by Jimmy Butler, I found in Architectural Digest magazine, November 2024 edition.
I throughly enjoyed reading the article and found myself contemplating the quote often.
Jimmy Butler is an incredible basketball player (a six-time NBA All star) for the Miami Heat, whose professional career spans 14 years.
During a time where I often hear how balance, especially work-life balance, is not achievable, this quote resonated deeply.
I often hear entrepreneurs declare the impossibility of balance, often eliminating the word from their vocabulary. Given this popular stance, it was incredibly refreshing to read Butler’s quote, “ I can’t be serious all day, I need balance.”
As a libra, I gravitate to the word balance, and often strive for balance in my every day life, although more often than not, I fail to achieve it.
I personally tend to shift back and forth from one extreme to the next, going from intense focus and ambition for a project, then once completed, I succumb to pure exhaustion and lethargy.
So, with that being said, it’s not that I disagree with entrepreneurs who say, balance is bs.
However, I do think our culture may prioritize one side, over the other, where really, perhaps, we should place the same amount of intentionality to rest, relaxation and recreation, as we do for action and execution.
It may actually produce greater results.
I’ve recently written an artist statement, diving deeper into a work I’ve created, titled, “Ambition.”
Ambition is a two paneled painting, that could be acquired and installed individually or as a diptych.
They contain the predominant colors of red, with hints of orange ruminating throughout the work, yet they are balanced with white and light grey.
Red is an intense color, signifying passion, love, obsession, anger, power, energy and effort (blood, sweat and tears).
There is an “owning” with the color red—owning one’s dreams, desires and purpose.
Red must be balanced with neutrality.
I do believe in order to be successful in any endeavor, especially for the long-term, one must consistently shift back and forth in balance.
Just like the sun, it must set each day, so we can rest.
In order to be successful in our ambition, we must not be consumed by it.
I contemplated this when reflecting upon this painting, why I named it Ambition and the use (and balance) of the color red.
Ambition, and life…requires a balance between work and spending time with the people we love and doing the things we enjoy.
“Resilience requires happiness.”
In the article, Butler intentionally created a home that sources all the things he loves and enjoys, incorporating all his many passions: “coffee, wine, travel, tennis and sand volleyball.” AD November 2024 pg. 75.
It is so reassuring to learn, from a high achiever who understands the physical and mental discipline required in performing at a high level (consistently and for an extended period of time), that Butler identifies his passions, family, friends, peace, quiet and fun as priorities.
In many ways, it’s our passions, joys, and inspirations that fuel us.
Maybe this quote, is a green light to prioritize doing something you absolutely love, this weekend.. and/or maybe even every evening after a day of work.