As a professor at U.C. Berkeley's Haas School, I see a variety of students throughout the year - each of them with their own issues of work and life balance. I've come to realize that the College Years present their own unique set of life balance issues.

Why Am I In School in the First Place? The typical student is at college for one of three reasons: (a) to get that degree so they can move on into the working world (checking education off the list), (b) to "find themselves", or (c) develop a specialized skill (typically this is the graduate student, but not always).

The student who is in the "finding themselves" model often dives deeply into a variety of classes, readings, discussions, activities and social settings, often experimenting and testing new ideas or life-styles out. This seems normal and healthy to me, and is one of the wonderful things about the typical "liberal arts" college - the university presents a smorgasbord of activities, courses, and cultures - and it's up to the student to navigate their way through, explore, play, have some fun and eventually choose a life course. Typical focus is class work, social life (think fraternity, sorority), and physical fitness. An emerging focus on many campuses is politics, social causes and community-based projects or programs.

Students in the "finding themselves" mode often seem out of balance. But, is this a good thing or a bad thing? At this stage of life, there is definitely less focus on prioritizing making money, work/career, and could be less focus on family as well. Depending upon the student, there could be more or less focus on God and the spiritual side of life.

This video of a student shows that it's possible to actually have some balance while in the exploration mode at school.



In the video, Elise - a student at Baylor University in Texas - points to six ways to achieve balance while at college:

1. Have an action plan -- do some thinking before arriving on campus, talk with friends and family and come up with an action plan for how you'd like to balance out your life...
2. Friends to hold you accountable -- Idenfity friends and/or family who can help hold you accountable to your plan.
3. God Can Help You Through Any Situation -- Know that your relationship with God or a higher being can help you get through any situation.
4. Keep Things in Perspective - it's ok to work your hardest and achieve good grades if that is part of your plan - but keep in mind that there is more to Life than just school
5. Serve Your Community -- Helping others in need, in the community, through community or church programs can be a great way to contribute to society and keep yourself balanced at the same time.
6. Pray for Guidance -- remember you are not alone and you can always seek Him for guidance on any life balance issue.

In the end, the college years may be purposefully out of balance, but there are always ways to keep a check on the things that are most important to you and use your Faith to center yourself in your college years.

Pope Benedict XVI will visit the Holy Land, En'shallah - which is Arabic for "God willing." Yes, God willing, the Pope will visit the epicenter of three of the world's great religions. Having worked in the Middle East recently, I see this visit from a unique perspective.

The visit, which is planned from May 8 to 15, is the first papal trip to the area since 2000 and only the second official trip by a pope to Israel. And, having been in Jordan and Egypt recently, I see this visit not as a voyage to some far off land, but as a return to a very holy place that is also full of intense conflict.

In some respects, this is a land that is out of balance with itself. A place of great history and potential. A seat of holiness for much of the world. Yet it is divided by internal hatred. An inability to forgive past grievances. An absence of the love and compassion that God has placed in our hearts.

The land may also mirror our own lives when they are out of balance. We have great potential as children of God. But sometimes our own pettiness prevents us from realizing that potential. Our own inability to forgive others, and ourselves, can be an obstacle to life balance. If we stretch this analogy a little farther, the results become clearer.

As with the Holy Land, we must address our inner conflicts head on if we are to find peace. If we listen to God's call to love our neighbors as ourselves, we must first learn to love ourselves. For love - of God and self - is the fulcrum upon which life balance must rest.

So, what will the Pope say during his trip? As the seat of inspiration and culture for the early Jews, Christians and Muslims, the Holy Land is a source of great blessing and turmoil. Much of this is due to misunderstanding between cultures and mutually inflicted suffering throughout the ages. While we cannot change history, we can promote better understanding.

Will the Pope try to heal past wounds? Highlight the shared call for peace and care for the needy that is at the heart of these religions? I wonder what each one of us might say if we could be Pope for a day? If we could stand at the pulpit for thirty minutes, before a crowd of thousands in the Holy Land, and speak from our heart. What would our message be? Would we clarify our unique positions? Emphasize the unity in our love of God? Offer reconciliation of past grievances?

Now let's turn these pronouncements toward ourselves and our relationship with others. If we were to issue a decree about our own state of mind, and of heart, and of soul, what would we say? Is there a need for forgiveness? Is there a need to overlook past differences or conflicts with others? Are we so focused on our own position that we fail to see the wisdom in other people, and their unique perspective? Balance, in many respects, comes from perspective. The Holy Land, it seems, could use more of both. So can we.

We invite you to share your perspective about the Pope's visit and about the challenges of finding balance and reconciliation within our personal landscape.

This past week the Christian season of "Lent" began. This the 40 days leading up to the death and rebirth of Jesus Christ. It is a time that many in the Christian faith choose something that they will give up for 40 days in remembrance that Jesus gave His life for us.

The idea of fasting is usually a part of Lent, which has its roots in the Jewish religion. The ancient Jews fasted during times of mourning, as a sign of repentance, as preparation for an encounter with God, and as a companion to prayer. There are many forms of fasting that one can choose from:

• -Fasting from food or drink
• -Fasting from words (i.e. words of criticism or negativity)
• -Fasting from set behaviors (i.e. bad habits)

The most interesting "fast" I can think of is fasting from time spent on something. This is where there is an opportunity to examine where one's time is being spent in an undisciplined or unbalanced way, and use these 40 days as a testimony to the power of re-prioritizing one's time.

For example, by watching less television and instead taking part of that time to sit down with our children or our spouse, or by spending less time on email/internet and re-focusing that time during the 40 days to reading , discussing, or relating to others.

I personally like this last interpretation of "fasting" the most of all - after all, time is our most precious commodity in our lives - it is the thing that , more than anything else, tends to get us out of balance, it is the thing that neglected family or loved ones wish they could get more of from us.

Perhaps this is an opportunity to bring time back into balance and experience what a gift it can be when thoughtfully balanced in the things that are most dear to us. Many people approach Lent as a somber time of giving up something we love. Why not use it as a time for regaining balance gaining something we've lost, such as precious time with others?