The Juggling Act: Bringing Balance to Your Faith, Family, and Work

The Juggling Act: Bringing Balance to Your Faith, Family, and Work

Lunch is reserved for meetings, technology makes us available anytime, anywhere-and somewhere along the way 9-to-5 morphed into 24/7, and technology makes us available anytime, anywhere . Our demanding schedules crowd out what matters most: family, friends, even our faith. Although it may feel like you're living under the Big Top, take heart. You don't have to be a circus professional to keep all the plates spinning. Pat Gelsinger understands this challenge. As a prominent executive in the Silicon Valley, Pat struggled to juggle* a thriving career with his family. Pat's pursuit of balance led him to dynamic truths that revolutionized his approach to life. The Juggling Act shares Pat's time-tested wisdom for keeping your life in perspective. This updated and expanded revision (formerly Balancing Your Family, Faith & Work) details the guidelines for balanced living, with insights on: Prioritizing your work, family, and God - Developing a personal mission statement - Becoming an effective employee - Creating a support system - Sharing your faith in the workplace Take a meeting with The Juggling Act . And get your professional-and personal-life on the fast track to success.    ,  , Mr. Pat Gelsinger is a Senior Vice President for Intel Corporation and is its first ever Chief Technology Officer. He has over 20 years expereince, 10 patents and numerous publications. As CTO he is responsible for setting the long-term research and technology directions for Intel. he frequently speaks at industry conferences through-out the world. In addition to his technology career, Pat speaks regularly on the subject of balancing priorities in many settings (including many for Campus Crusade for Christ). He also serves as an elder and regular Bible study instructor in his church. Pat has been married to his wife Linda for 20 years, and they have four children: Elizabeth, Josiah, Nathan, and Micah. They live in Beaverton, Oregon. THE JUGGLING ACT BRINGING BALANCE TO YOUR FAITH, FAMILY AND WORK By PAT GELSINGER David C. Cook Copyright © 2008 Pat Gelsinger All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4347-6874-2 Contents Acknowledgments, Foreword, Introduction, 1 From Farm Country to Silicon Valley, 2 Developing a Blueprint for Life, 3 Prioritizing God, 4 Prioritizing Family Time, 5 Succeeding in the Workplace, 6 Developing Mentor Relationships, 7 Living Authentically as a Clear Witness, 8 Integrating Faith, Family, and Work, 9 Power Juggling, Afterword: Insights from a Juggler's Wife, Pat's Responses to Chapter Questions, CHAPTER 1 From Farm Country to Silicon Valley ROBESONIA IS AN IDYLLIC little borough in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. It's where I was born and raised—and where I learned the meaning of hard work. Both of my parents' families were dairy, cattle, and crop farmers. My mother was from a family of eleven, and several of her siblings never made it past infancy. My dad was from a family of nine children. He was a twin at number seven/eight in the family. Both Mom and Dad were of similar Pennsylvania Dutch upbringing. Both were raised on farms. Both learned English as their second language. While they grew up some sixty miles apart, each walked to the nearest one-room schoolhouse for their first-through-eighth-grade education. For both of my parents, their large families made up a high percentage of the student body in the tiny one-room schoolhouse that provided the entirety of their formal education. Neither was given the opportunity to pursue an education beyond eighth grade. As my dad's siblings reached the age of maturity and marriage, they moved into farming with a bit of financial assistance from Grandpa. Grandpa helped son #1, son #2, daughter #1, and so on, but when finally getting to my dad, he said, "You're on your own, Son, we already have enough farms in the family." Thus, my father began his farming career by working for his brothers. There's always more than enough work to do on a farm. Thus, Dad was more than welcome to help out a couple of my uncles. This worked wonderfully for quite a few years. Then, as his older brothers began having their own families, and their children reached the age of maturity and took on the responsibilities of the family farms, Dad became less central to the operations of my uncles' farms. On several occasions Dad looked into buying a farm, but he was never quite the high bidder, or the loan didn't quite materialize, or he just didn't have enough financial support from Grandpa to go forward with the purchase. Thus, he never did acquire a farm of his own. I enjoyed the hard work of my uncles' farms. Further, I always liked working with my dad. Had Dad ever acquired a farm of his own, I'd be there to this day, working with him on the family homestead. Instead of being an expert in computer chips, I'd be quite knowledgeable in cow chips! I learned much from my dad and my farming uncles, aunts, and cousins. It's hard to be closely ass