Plain Truth: Balance between work and family

Date: 13 December 2013   Read: 629

Hard work does not kill; instead, it pays off. As I take time to pen this article, I take my cue of this saying from personal experience. I have just been promoted to become a full professor at the University of South Africa. To God be the glory for all the work that He is accomplishing through my life.

I take this opportunity to first and foremost convey a message of support to the Mandela family for their loss in the person of the first and former president of a democratic South Africa. He worked hard for the nation, but at the same time, we need to acknowledge that he was a family man dedicated to their well-being as well. The nation is indeed mourning such a great statesman. He was made from a different cloth and his legacy will continue to inspire many for decades to come.

As we toil and labour to realize our visions in life, we must never do it at the expense of our families. I have worked hard to be where I am today, a full professor at Unisa, but I can safely say ''not at the expense of my family''. I spend quality time with them in the midst of all the hard work to ensure that there is peace and harmony. I do not want to die and be reckoned as a guru in theology but also as somebody who never had a life when it came to family. I have time to do lunch with my wife more often, especially because we have the grace of working together at the same institution, something that we thank God for.

My advice to all hardworking men and women out there is that you need to create a balance between work and family. This implies that you need to be more creative in terms of time management. Six hours of sleep is healthy for everybody and therefore you need to be more creative as to how best you can use the remaining 18 hours, balancing it between work, community engagement and family life.

My advice to all newly married couples is that you also need to be creative and innovative in terms of the lingo that you use in marriage. I will give you one example regarding the best way to enhance your sex life and enjoyment in marriage. You will know that I am very allergic to the missionary language and position when it comes to sex – the man on top whilst the room is covered in darkness, because you can have sex in the daylight. I am of the opinion that young couples should start to be innovative and spice up their sex life with a relevant sex language.

If you want to have sex in the morning, it is called morning glory (especially when you do it at sunrise). You can also call that encounter sunrise snack or breakfast snack if you decide to have sex just after breakfast. You can have a lunch snack, if you steal a few minutes of your lunch to rush home for a quickie.

You can spice up things by having a sunset snack as you prepare for the full meal sometime in the evening. You can have a midnight snack, one that is not planned but taking place at midnight. This will keep you busy, but it creates a very balanced diet and vibe that will save your marriage.