Time To Take A BREAK???
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- Опубліковано 6 тра 2024
- In this video Christian asks a much asked question. That "work v life" balance one. Do we live in a culture that asks us to work the wrong way. Or does it ask us to work the right way and reward those who make a clear division between "work" and "life" and spend more time energy and health points on the latter over the former?
Very enlightening. Totally relatable. I came away from a high level manager position to spend valuable time with my wife and children. We broke away to become better people. Nicer to our selves and to each other. I got back into music some while later and have now had minor success as a games composer. No extra pressure, no tyrants, just deep seeded satisfaction at being able to work at my own pace. The jobs come and go, but the loved ones remain. That is my balance. Without them I would assuredly be feeding the worms in an early grave. Be great and keep on rocking Mr C. You really do inspire.
Well done, and the best for the future :)
This is one of the reasons I love the channel so much - you're not just a composer, presenter, industry insider etc, you're a person. And a person who is honest and open rather than having a fake UA-cam facade like so many others. Every word is worth hanging on to.
Christian thank you for your wisdom, it came just in right time for me. Your words should be permanently printed on billboards in cities... Just pure gold. Thank you.
I can relate to this so much. I recently said NO to a forth film with a certain director due to the fact it took over my life. I had enough of it and had to decline for the sake of my health. I'm free to choose my own path and learned this vital lesson the hard way. Thanks Christian. I get it!
Health is wealth!!!
The older I get, the less I am prepared to sell my time. It is priceless, precisely because I don't know how much of it I've got. Loved this rant, Christian. You are correctamundo!
“Sell my time” I’m gonna borrrow that one 😅 thanks for such a lovely comment
We appreciate everything you do. Plus, the new Dot Allison library is quite amazing.
"No one should value your time more than you" brilliant.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!
All very true mate. You encapsulated the conundrum perfectly. x
"When you're 20, 10 years is half your life". Sobering reflection of that statement: when you're 60, 10 years is half of what you've got left. *And* the years pass by much, much faster.
Thanks Christian, I've missed grumpy old guy.
Thank you so much for your soul advice. Today your going to help change my life
Yeah spot on Christian.
Thanks!!!
Brilliant.
For what it is worth, I changed "work-life balance" for "maximising fun while meeting REAL responsibilities". Sometimes fun is work, sometimes it is spending time with friends and family, sometimes it is looking on a scene in nature. And not all responsibilities are REAL. Some are much more important than others; and if X is much more important than Y, is Y really needed. It took a while to figure this out and I haven't mastered this yet, but I know which way to continue. I'm glad you have your own vision of the path forward.
“Not all responsibilities are real” 🤯
This is gold. Thank you David.
I worked for a trendy tech start-up with lots of young people. The company organised lunch and evening activities. The naive kids were told it the company’s goal was life-life balance!
It’s a trap!
I appreciate your candor and openness. It is a much more real conversation than most life-advice videos. Our culture gives us a very limited picture of what "success" means, and it is usually the one that lines the pockets of executives and corporate leaders at the cost of us wringing ourselves out into someone else's bucket. We live in a culture that values a concept of productivity over everything. Productivity, our insatiable tyrant.
We really have become a slave to it! But we can always get our lives back
I’m not an alcoholic nor am I religious but… the serenity prayer resonates with your great insights
grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and Wisdom to know the difference
It really does! It’s almost a very mindful mantra to yourself
@@TheCrowHillCo yep! That one plus “and it too shall pass” are the only two you need to have on repeat 😎
As someone who is exactly your age Christian, I fully concur and endorse this message.
We have the royal seal of approval! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice comment!
One of the best videos you've done. It'll surely open so many people's eyes.
Wow! Glad you found it as such!
I love the honesty!
Good on you for speaking your truth here. At this point in my life I take only the work that I want to take and it will be also about observing the person I work with as part of that process. I usually have been lucky to be able to see around corners and have a sense of people right off, but also not question who I am or what I have done either. I look ahead and am not a rear view mirror person. There are opportunities out there. I do many things in my lab here in the Northwest of USA and it's working out for me well. I escaped the Hollywood thing a while ago, but they still call, so that's good and say to me "great work as always". So I guess that's something. The relationships are good for me and I seem to work well with people even if they are not happy people and uptight. I just let them come around to what is important.
Our brains were not developed for this environment. We were only supposed to feel stress if a lion was attacking us-- and we'd get adrenaline with our stress-- which would give us euphoria after. Now we have stresses that are missing the adrenaline, which Dr. K (HealthyGamerGG) says can be supplemented by doing a full sprint if you feel stressed.
Love healthy gamer! So inspirational
Thank you😊
I only know the two-dimensional version of Christian Henson, and he doesn't have the advantage to know me in any dimension. Respect goes to the one who lives his life as honestly as he can with himself, regardless of the price that may accompany. Whether it be faith, politics or philosphy, many flow along with the tide trying desperately to fit in with people they don't even respect that much. My limited opinion of Christian Henson is that along the journey he realized these things and shared them with us in the victory of discovery and the agony of the realization that sometimes the cost of truth is to stand alone. You, Christian Henson, are maybe the only musician that, while I respect and revere your work, would just as soon hear your thoughts on life as review a good score or two. But, in many ways that is the same thing, for I believe whole heartedly that what I experience musically is a portrait of who you are out of the arts. Thank you for your thoughts. High on my list is to bump into you in a restaurant and find a friend of such rich comtemplations.... and buy you dinner.
Hear hear Christian!
"THE" most valuable video I've watched from you Christian, thank you.
High praise indeed!
Value your freedom… 110%… always appreciate the honesty
Your own freedom is such a gift!
Miss these walks and talks we use to have all the time. Nice to have 1 again
Thanks! More to come!
Wow. That's powerful. Thanks for being so candid and inspiring.
Thank you for enjoying it and for taking the time to comment 😊
Ensuring that you don't become your own tyrant is excellent advice in any walk of life. Thank you Christian. :)
Thank you! Becoming the villain in your own story is a scary idea
Thanks Christian for your honesty and wise words.Had a tear to my eye watching this.
Oh Man! I’m honoured!
FREEEEEDOM! Thank you as always for being so candid with your experiences brother.
I can relate to this too. My highs and lows were not so extreme but in other ways were close. I was a workaholic and I loved every minute of it until I decided that attaining more shiny things was a “been there done that cycle” that would never end. So I decided to change my life for a more fulfilling one. Now that decades have passed I need to repeat the action. Thank you Christian for your candour and for a depth that’s rare amongst my family and friends.
Piece of wisdom this is.
Thanks for sharing.
It needs to be heard.
Even for those of us who went through the mechanics for decades, as well, and think we have learned our lesson.
It's so easy to get caught back into the madness. Sometimes a reminder is necessary. Hearing it by someone else who has experienced the pain helps recalibrate.
I raise my class to you.
Glad the reminder came at a good time for you!
Absolutely well put. Saying "NO" truly is the most difficult skill to acquire
And the 1st one is the hardest!
@@TheCrowHillCo definitely!
I just finished reading the book "Essentialism" which contains many of the ideas you've put forth here. The book has a quote, "if you don't value your time, someone else will". One ongoing life exercise I do that has really helped me is to have a document that describes "one year in the good life". It answers the "what do I want?" and "what really matters?" questions, and had helped me realize that the things I dream of having someday are things I can works towards today with baby steps. Thanks for the honest vlog, it's greatly appreciated.
Essentialism you say… I might have to check this out!
Sharing mistakes is a way of learning and prevent them. Same here. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe.
So glad to hear this today. It resonates deeply and funnily enough this is where I'm currently at this stage of life .
Thank you for being so honest - these must have been hard things to share and even hard things to have on your mind and deal with. In all honesty, what you said about it turning into a "Job" is why I bowed out and I'm hoping to just release music independently and ad hoc, for the soul and not for pay. There's not a lot of money in it anyway without destroying yourself or coming close to.
Doing stuff for the soul always feels good!
One thing I’ve learnt (I’m mid 40s now and in a senior public sector job) is that it’s the people you work with that make all the difference. That’s what has made me look forward to Mondays as opposed to Fridays. My actual job (law) I haven’t really enjoyed in itself as a standalone thing for a good 15 years or so I don’t think, but I love the people I work with. The other thing is to not wait around in jobs you don’t enjoy - it’s a cliche but life is too short.
People are such a big part of what makes life, life!
Hearing this really helps. Thanks again, Christian. 👊🏽
No, Thank you! 🫵
So much has changed from when we were 6-10 years old with our perception of what being a film composer is. At the start we have this romanticized innocent filter on what the job means. Writing epic & beautiful cues & hearing music on loud speakers. It’s exhilarating. What I’ve learned is that the AAA work that we romantize truly is NOT for everyone and is only for a few. film composition isn’t for all and only a few. Thanks for sharing Christian, I will do my best to prioritize my lively hood over work opportunities.
Hopefully an improved livelihood can you create as well!
My thoughts goes to the guy next to Christian in the train.
And the people behind as well! 😂
@@TheCrowHillCo 🤣🤣
Thank you Christian for all you do
Thank you for being you!
I use many of your products Mr Henson, and after only two months, new hairs are already starting to appear!
Thank you Sir. ❤️
Im so glad you like them! Vertical piano is my favourite so far!
@@TheCrowHillCo Delighted to read you. In the 90's I NEARLY made it. I got as far as writing sketches for Sting and Pet Shop Boys, but none were taken up.
Pet Shop Boys actually chose Go West over my song 'Something I used to do' which was definitely a mistake as far as I am concerned!! 😉
I started writing feverishly whilst being unable to work for one year because of needing to have all of my Large Intestine removed. I was working on a shoestring budget (understatement). Programming on Steinberg Pro 16 using a Commodore 64. Then having the C64 play my demo's through a 8/2 StudioMaster desk and singing a LIVE vocal straight onto DAT... No mastering, nothing.
It was during this period that I discovered the village (West Haddon) methodist chapel had an upright piano. So I would borrow the skeleton key once a week and sing and play in this amazing acoustic place!
I had three singing lessons and all I remember my teacher saying was "Thats VERY high... but remember, it also has to be nice to listen to"... So in the Chapel is where I learned to hit a G#6, and wait until somebody walking a dog would knock on the door and ask if I was ok? 😂
I am yet to try your vertical piano, but having JUST listened, I can confirm, it sounds just like The Chapel Piano and I got chills... they're multiplying, and i'm losing control!
This time is my time now Mr Henson, this is The Big Push and I need all the help I can get.
Best wishes to you and may all your dreams sprout wings. Nigel (The Armour Guy) ⚒
'Strafing decades' I'll be using that phrase from now on!
Hahaha permission granted!
This is an important video. Thank you so much for sharing, Christian.
Amen. This is confirming to hear as I pursue with my performing and composing career in a way that is less exploitative than the first twenty years.
It gets better as you get wiser!
Thank you Christian. While I'm not in any danger of all of that music success and trappings, I did spend 35 years corperate-ing and telling myself the paycheck had to be protected above all else, and I know I'm not wishing I had more of that in The End.
35 years I. The corporate world deserves a medal! It’s no mean feat at all!
Nothing more important than family time spent together. BECOME THE OTHER,. We had this conversation maybe 2 years ago when I messaged you to let you know I quit my job after watching your video. I now make my music and don't work for anyone. I have 9 children mate, 19 down to 6 months. YOU ONLY HAVE 1 LIFE, LIVE IT !!
Wow!! So glad it’s worked out so well for you!!! 👏👏👏
Felt this like a gut punch, because it is the price of working hard and doing a job well, irrespective of whether it is something you enjoy or not. Everybody has the capacity to hate the fun stuff when it starts to become the demanding and controlling stuff.
Thanks for this candid info. I can't help but remember the line from the Journey song, "Love and a music man ain't what it's supposed to be."
I could never get enough of christians old man energy
😂😂 and the power only gets stronger!
Look at us. Look at what they make you give.
Exactly! Take stock of it!
@@TheCrowHillCo Though, while you are carving your way in the noise of competition it's very hard to see your inherent worth (because you either have not or feel like you have not yet demonstrated it) and leverage it - and hard for clients to see it, conveniently.
What a great video, Christian. Thank you for being vulnerable. A very important reminder for us.
Thank you for enjoying that side!
Thank You Christian! As always, much needed wisdom and advice. Taking this one to heart!
Thought provoking as always, thanks Christian
What a great video, as always. I'm so glad you're back Christian! I guess the flipside is if you did prioritise all those birthdays, family commitments (and I get what you say about their importance!) would you have ended up getting a reputation in your work life for being 'difficult' or 'unreliable'? It seems the music world is so competitive that I completely understand why you missed all those important events for fear of wrecking your career. Anyway, really great stuff, and I hope you're going to be doing composer walks sometime too!
Thank you for sharing and dropping truth. ❤
🙏
I'm totally agree with you mate. As an artist, I feel you.
Preach! I’m having a lot of these realizations myself as well
Our own wise man just amazing sayings from Christian
Thank you, we’ll try and keep the wholistic advice coming!
Great video. Utterly selfless and honest which is something you don’t see much of. I doth my cap to you guvnor. Be happy.
A cap has been dothed! Thank you sir!
True words Christian! Thanks for the video.
As one enlightened person put it, "people are special, first they chase money to get better, and then they spend that money to buy back the health they destroyed in the pursuit of money."
Wow! That is an incredible quote!
As a self employed builder, I never work my birthdays, always say no to awful customers regardless of financial situations, always take time for family, never work later than 4 on a Friday. This took 14 years to achieve, but life is now simple for me. Allowing time to help others who have less and need more. That is quality of life. I always aimed for quality over quantity.
Well done on being so respectful to yourself!
Well done articulating a conundrum so many are wrestling with daily. I’m sorry to say it took years for me to figure out people requesting our services are not going to also be the cautionary monitor of what is reasonable to expect from you, and counsel you to back off. You nailed this when you observed who has the control over one’s time and commitments. Thanks for ranting on something we need to keep at the front of our minds. Insightful content as always!
Thank you, I’m glad you got something out of it!
this resonates with me so much.
Glad it dropped at tube right time for you
I don’t really understand the success culture we’re in anymore. Why do we need to achieve, be good at, succeed individually, thrive, make it, be admired…? Does anyone know what’s the root or conditioning for all this?
Not being enough. Not being able to broadcast it.
Capitalism and the internet is a dangerous combination.
We don’t die as heroes in battle anymore
To understand more about this, Byung-Chul Han's books, like The Burnout Society, are worth a read.
@@GavinskisTutorials Thanks will check, someone also recommended "The Gift" by Lewis Hyde and "The Success Industry" by Daniel T. Rodgers
Thank you Christian. Timely as usual. I've had a similar 'all in' approach to my work for the past 25 years which ultimately led me to move away from the corporate world in marketing and back into the creative world where I began. (You're partly responsible by the way.....;) With a challenging and long-running family obligation which has now run its course, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to consider how I structure the next chapter. My work experience has been that of a fire-hose - it's either 7 days a week, anxiety-driven madness or an empty inbox and feeling the world is passing me by. Much of that is on me - but it's time to figure it out a bit better before the next adventure kicks off. Please keep these musings coming - they are provoking and much appreciated.
Im happy to be part responsible for a positive change!
Retired at 51; highly recommend it - looks like you've read some Mark Manson, write your own story, couldn't agree more
Wow! So much life to enjoy retiring that early!
The average person doesn't have many friends... true friends. When we're young, we have values that are more self-centered, then as we age we tend to learn from our earlier 'mistakes'. I LOVED working in the recording studio, but killed two marriages... in part due to my LOVE of the studio (meaning my workaholism, or addiction to working in something that I absolutely LOVED doing). However, this is the way that our lives tend to progress... many mistakes in our early years, then lessons learned being taken with a more serious bent. I get what you're saying, Christian, and believe me, you're preaching to the choir here. I appreciate your willingness to openly share with us... I'd be doing the same now at nearly 68 with an audience as well. However, this is what life is about... learning lessons as the years pass... or at least hopefully learning them as there are MANY who fail to learn anything at all as they blame everyone for where they are in life. Taking responsibility for our choices and learning to forgive ourselves for them is tantamount. Remember... we only do what we know and when we know better, we do better. Cheers, Christian!
What a fantastic comment and a lovely line to end it! 👏🙏
@@TheCrowHillCo Thank you so much, Christian!
You are valuable man, never give up.
Christian, I wish I could have a pint with you sometime to discuss this further. Being willing to say "no" has a whole lot packed into that statement. I decided many decades ago that I love playing and creating music so much that I made it a priority in my life. Yes, I've needed to have day jobs I wasn't thrilled with but I have no wife, no kids and no regrets. It's not for every musician of course and it's not been a bed of roses. Barely keeping my financial nose above water causes stress for sure but at the end of the day, I count the dollars I don't see in my physical bank that are in my happiness bank - creative satisfaction dollars, freedom dollars and peace of mind dollars. In this respect, I feel wealthy. The world should not force us into all or nothing choices. ✌❤
Peace of mind dollars! Love that!! Have a look at the last video where that might become possible! 🍻
Great stuff as always Christian! Thanks for sharing so openly! Very important topic. And please make a full solo cello with gestures! I will buy it the minute it lands!
Solo cello you say….
@@TheCrowHillCo Yes, please! Think of the Cello Moods that Mr. C produced back in the olden days, but with gestures.... I'm drooling already...
Well done on carving that space for yourself and your family! 👏
Moderation in all things.😁🎶🎹🎶Play On
Play on indeed!
Correct 🫡🙏🏿🙏
Glad we hit the nail on the head! 🎯
This is one of the best videos you’ve ever made. Some of this parallels my life. I managed to step back a bit sooner than your good self it seems. But it was horribly familiar. If you didn’t pause recording this because you got upset, I would be massively surprised.
Another honest rant... great advice sir!
Honest rant! Love that as a title😂
It sounds like a confession to the self my friend. as we get older, I think a lot of us have these reflections., however as an artist your emotions are heightened that will also heighten your perception and the history of yourself.
It’s funny how so many people go through the same thing!
Respect for this sharing!❤
Thank you for taking the time to send such a nice message 😊
@@TheCrowHillCo no tank you for showing us how life could evolve in decades... i really appreciate when humans put down the mask and let others see what is burning inside ... g r a z i e
🙏❤️🙏
🙏🙏🙏
A.I. will give us a lot of 'Live' in this ballance very soon;)😅
I hope so!
Your Final words on this video from my heart, you found it, stick with it and follow it, be blessed and your family.
You too! 🙏🙏❤️
I stopped composing when my kid was born. Became a score mixer. Much less stressful.
That’s a great Segway!
Oscar is the best solution to a happy life 😊 YO! while working on a movie...
Truer words have never been spoken!
Christian, thanks for your honesty. I was in the IT and left finally. Like any job there MUST say no. Maybe semi retire. Music is wgat I want to be in. Then life, family, friends and put priority 1st.
Yes I agree with you.
The thing is In the UK. USA etc... is that its a rat race. There is no balance life.
Especially in the big cities!
Overworking cost me my first marriage, of 20 years. I had a full-time plus profession, plus a full-time plus company I ran, PLUS military obligations (that occasionally took me away from home for months at a time). Life was crushing me, and I didn't even see it. After 6 1/2 years of not having a day off, taking 2 vacations in 20 years, it came to a head. Lessons learned, albeit too late.....
Wow that is A LOT to have on your plate!!!
Nice one!
Thanks!!! ❤🐦⬛
I recently gave away my full time job and salary in order to find a better work/happiness balance. I was in the strange position of using my vacation days to take on creative projects. Weird life when a vacation is actually working on something you love. Something had to change there.
Glad you made that change - that’s bravery!
There’s an interesting book titled “dying with zero”. The key idea is that most people spend too much time working and too little time enjoying their retirement before their health becomes the limiting factor. Matches what you’re saying here pretty closely!
I’ll have to check it out!
Man, this vlog made me feel like it's pre-covid times!
Also made me a bit nostalgic about living the UK, seeing CH galavanting about like that...
Might be the whisky though.
Probably the whisky. :P
38% the whiskey!
Love this already. Great take. Capitalism and meritocracy can rip the life out of people.
Don’t let it get your soul too!
"YOU" are a national treasure, mate.
No that’s you! 🫵
I too am standing at the precipice of chucking it all in and retiring. I unfortunately work in the saddest corner of the recording industry...composing/mixing political advertising in the US. Everything you voiced is my life in a nutshell.
Turned 60 a week ago and looked at myself and saw a......grump. How did this happen?
The good thing is that it’s not too late to turn it around!
@TheCrowHillCo Just trying to figure out, what is my next step. Thought about teaching, but not sure my/our knowledge is wanted or applicable to the next generation.
I need a good life/life balance.
Hope you get there and this helps!
@@TheCrowHillCo thanks, my cat is my role model now
It should be Life-Work-Balance instead of Work-Life-Balance. The order is very important!
That is a fantastic point!
@@TheCrowHillCo yes!
I don't have one exam, I don't own a home, I earn less than the average wage in the UK. I have bags of free time, I go out to eat seven days a week and I do a job I love, I only do things I enjoy. I don't chase material things. Just my wife and son get my attention....