Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a short intervention, said:

“Imagine that life is a game of 5 balls that you try to manipulate in the air without dropping them. One is made of rubber, the rest are made of glass.

The five balls are:

Work, family, health, friends and soul.

It won't be long before you realize that work is a rubber ball. Whenever you drop it, it will return to your hands, while the other balls are made of glass. If one of them falls, they will not return to their original form.

It will be damaged, cracked or even shattered.

You have to be aware of that and make an effort to take it into account.

Manage your work efficiently during working hours, and be honest with yourself, give your family and friends the necessary time, rest properly and take care of your health. If it falls, it won't be easy to go back to the way it was.”


In “The Way”, Josemaria Escrivá, the founder of OPUS DEI, implies that all honest work is dignified and an opportunity to love God. 

In the statement above, Sundar Pichai presents important components of human life and compare them to playing balls. He raises significant emphasis to four of them leading us to think that the fifth is less valuable, even comparing it to a rubber ball that will come back “bouncing”.

I understand the point that work will still be available to us even when we “drop the ball”. I understand the point that we shouldn’t worry even when it's lost, as it bounces back to us always. I also understand the point about we shouldn't invest as much energies in work as we should do to the other components. I understand all this but despite it, my view is that work is key in a balanced human life. 

I would like us to reflect on Sundar statement not in the perspective of undermining work but in the sense of balance  where it doesn’t damage the other components. Why should it? 

Work is a human right and just another opportunity to love God in others. Loving God through work serving. I’m thinking on the health professionals, the farmers, the civil servants, the teachers, the road-workers, the priests, or any professional activity one may think of. All professions have element of serving others and for that finding God in the love they share. 

So, my argument is about love. Yes family, health and friends are central to our life, although if we want to save our souls one need to live according to Jesus teachings. As it’s written in Matthew gospel, the most important commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’”. (Mark 12:30-31)

What lovely opportunities we daily have to fulfil this commandments in our work. To put love in all the activities we do and show love for God through it. Serving. Taking this opportunity lightly as a bouncing ball will drive us to risk loosing our soul to selfishness and indifference.