In interviews I gave early on in my career, I was quoted as

In the ebb and flow of a person’s life, the quest for balance between personal desires and professional ambitions is a theme that has occupied the hearts and minds of many. Jessica Savitch, a pioneering journalist, reflects on her own journey with a poignant acknowledgment: "In interviews I gave early on in my career, I was quoted as saying it was possible to have it all: a dynamic job, marriage, and children. In some respects, I was a social adolescent." These words resonate deeply, as they speak to the universal struggle to reconcile the competing demands of career, family, and self, a struggle that is as old as human society itself.

The ancients, too, wrestled with the tension between duty and personal fulfillment. Consider the life of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, whose name has become synonymous with power, beauty, and tragedy. She sought to rule her kingdom while navigating complex relationships with powerful men such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She, like Savitch, believed in her ability to balance personal and professional realms, yet the toll of these ambitions led to personal losses. Cleopatra’s story illustrates that even the most powerful among us can struggle with the weight of conflicting desires, and that the pursuit of "having it all" is a dangerous illusion, one that can cause a rift between personal fulfillment and external expectations.

What Savitch's reflection reveals is not simply the vulnerability of ambition but the innocence of youth—a social adolescent as she so rightly calls herself. In her early career, she had yet to fully understand the complexities of life’s demands, believing that one could achieve it all without recognizing the sacrifices required. To be young is to believe in possibilities, to envision a future where everything aligns perfectly, where success in one area does not come at the expense of another. This belief is noble but, as experience teaches, it is also naïve. The wisdom of age shows us that balance is less about “having it all” and more about knowing which pieces of our lives are most sacred, and which can be sacrificed.

Consider the example of Socrates, the great philosopher who lived his life devoted to the pursuit of knowledge and justice. While he was married to Xanthippe, a woman known for her difficult temperament, Socrates’ life was marked not by the domestic balance we might expect, but by a singular focus on his philosophical work. He sacrificed the comforts of home life in pursuit of a higher purpose, understanding that some pursuits demand total devotion, while others require flexibility and compromise. Socrates teaches us that achieving balance is not always about achieving perfection in all things—it is about knowing where our true calling lies and having the courage to embrace it, even at the cost of other desires.

In Jessica Savitch's life, the realization of her social adolescence marks a profound moment of growth. As she matured, she came to understand the limitations of her early beliefs. She recognized that the notion of “having it all” is a myth, one that cannot be sustained indefinitely. Life, like the seasons, requires us to prioritize, to understand when to lean into our work and when to retreat into the sanctuary of family and self-care. To strive for everything at once is to risk spreading oneself too thin, losing the essence of what truly matters. Savitch's wisdom lies in her self-awareness—the ability to reflect upon her youthful idealism and see it for what it was: a product of youthful energy and social pressure, not the truth of adult experience.

Let us then learn from Savitch's words, and the example of those who came before her. The lesson is not about rejecting the dream of having it all, but about understanding that such a dream requires clarity and discipline. We must ask ourselves: What is truly worth pursuing? What are we willing to sacrifice in order to give our best to the roles we play? Marriage, children, and career can coexist, but not without balance, compromise, and a deep understanding that we are always choosing one path over another. The true measure of success is not how many roles we can juggle, but how we live with integrity and purpose in each moment.

So, let us strive to create lives that are meaningful and authentic, knowing that we are limited creatures who must choose our commitments wisely. Let us take inspiration from Jessica Savitch, who, through her words, reminds us that the journey toward balance is one of deep personal reflection, and that wisdom is born not from believing we can do everything, but from knowing that we must make choices in accordance with our true selves. By doing so, we live not as social adolescents, full of false promises, but as wise individuals who understand that fulfillment comes from prioritizing what is truly important, and letting the rest fall away.