Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of watching one of my dear friends, Marilyn Brown, being inducted into the YWCA Women of Achievement (WOA) Hall of Fame. Marilyn and I have been friends for over a decade.

Marilyn served over 14 years as a Franklin County Commissioner. In her role, I witnessed her devotion to her constituents and central Ohio. She was always willing to put her hand to the plow in the best interest of vital community resources.

When it was Marilyn’s turn to speak to the audience, I was mesmerized by the raw truth that she was conveying. She talked with such certainty that those of us in the audience needed to hear what she had to say. She focused on the tricky and sometimes elusive subject of work-life balance. The contents of the speech were very personal to me, mainly because before January 4, 2018, my life was out of balance. You see, I typically worked more than 14-hour days.

On Friday, January 4, 2018, I was feeling exhausted. During my last meeting, one of my team members stated, “Karen, I don’t think that I have ever seen you tired.” I responded by saying, “I’ve never felt this tired.” Shortly after the exchange, I was rushed to the hospital by paramedics. I could not talk for 10 ½ hours and could not use the left side of my body. While an actual diagnosis was never determined, I was treated as if I had had a stroke. I like to think that it was a healthy warning sign.

Subsequently, I was in the hospital for a week, at home, and then went directly back to work. I had a warped sense of work-life balance. Once my Board Chair and Mentor discovered this, she mandated that I take time off. She informed me that when I returned, I would return to a position allowing me to cultivate a better work-life balance.

Marilyn left the audience with these final thoughts, “My experience is not the only way to achieve balance. Ask yourself if you need to do all you are doing. You can make changes. With balance, you’ll be energized. I urge you to find balance in your life. You won’t regret it.”