You are in business. Therefore, you know how important it is to always be improving “the bottom line.” The bottom line — your company’s net earnings, net income, or the actions you and others take that increase or decrease your company’s overall profit — is essential in the world of business. If you want to have a thriving business, the bottom line shows how important it is to keep growing revenues and increasing efficiencies.
But there is also a “bottom line” in life, one that shows where to draw “the fine line.” And keeping “the bottom line of the fine line” straight is imperative if you want to have a thriving life! There are so many things in life that are not totally black or white, but they are instead shades of gray. A thin, fine line often separates two choices, with the path we take or the way we act determining the bottom lines in our lives. Our paths and actions determine whether we lead happy, fruitful, productive lives or existences that are always lacking and never fulfilled.
Just think how thin the line is between being confident or cocky, self-reliant or prideful, self-aware or narcissistic. A razor-thin difference sometimes exists between being passionate or obsessed, courageous or foolhardy, one who strives for excellence or one who stops at nothing for perfection, a thrill seeker or an utterly irresponsible person.
Have you ever known a parent who could not determine the difference between properly protecting his or her children and smothering them? Have you ever met a teenager who did not know the nuance between being a person who occasionally takes time out for a little rest and relaxation versus being a slacker? I am sure you have come into contact with a supervisor who cannot distinguish between being an involved, concerned leader and being an overbearing, bossy micromanager. Have you ever had a friend who associates being frugal with being a tightwad? You might know someone who cannot differentiate being helpful from meddling in your affairs.
The bottom line is this: We walk a fine line in the lives we lead. Oftentimes there is a very small difference between something very good and something quite bad. Balance seems to be the optimal goal in most things. Swing one way too far in either direction, and the results are usually not the best. For example, being a hard worker is almost always a good thing, but being a workaholic rarely is. Consequently, we all need a few honest, caring and mature confidants who tenderly speak the truth in our lives when we detour off course.
Additionally, having proper balance will keep our lives aligned. You should also know there is a time for everything, as Ecclesiastes 3 in the Bible reminds us. If we indulge in having an occasional sweet, it won’t harm the majority of us. If we camp out at the cookie jar, however, we will eventually get weighed down. Balance and proper perspective are really the answer to “the bottom line of the fine line.” It is most important to know what you are ultimately trying to achieve; this will make all the difference. Matthew 6:33 reads, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Once we have a clear understanding of the big picture, the details begin to come into greater focus.
The Man in Black — no, not the CFO or comptroller but rather the music icon and legend — Johnny Cash had his first No. 1 hit song, “I Walk the Line,” 60 years ago. He penned such words as these: “I keep a close watch on this heart of mine. I keep my eyes wide open all the time … Because you’re mine, I walk the line.” Cash knew as well as anyone “the bottom line was the fine line.” He also understood sometimes it is not easy distinguishing between two things, one being good and the other being bad.
Remember to keep things in balance, and allow a few trusted individuals to speak into your life. Most importantly, know what goals you are ultimately try-ing to achieve. I always remember 1 John 2:17: “Whoever does the will of God abides forever.” This Bible verse helps me put things into perspective and remember what is truly important. Valuing the right things and remembering what is important will make all the difference as you walk “the fine line toward the bottom line” of a life well lived.
Brian Horner is the Gulf Coast Division director of Marketplace Chaplains USA, an organization that provides workplace chaplains to corporate America. This employee-care program serves employees and their family members 24/7.
For more information, visit www.mchapusa.com or call (800) 775-7657.