You’ve been working for this moment your whole life. To make it into the league. To sit behind the big desk. To command the squadron. To have the power. 

It was for these things that you sacrificed a lot, but now you think your family really has to sacrifice. Don’t they understand how important this is? Don’t they understand the stress that is on your shoulders? They should put up with the fact that you’re moody, distracted, busy, not around. Right? You’re the big man, they have to get that.

No. No they don’t. De Gaulle was that man. He helped save France. Then he ran it. Yet even at the height of his power, he reminded himself: “The presidency is temporary, family is permanent.” So he put up boundaries. He carved out private time. He refused to neglect the children who depended on him so much, particularly his mentally handicapped daughter, Anne. 

We can’t ever let ourselves forget that even though we may be very important to the world, to a small group of people, we are the whole world. Nothing matters more than family, and nothing is more permanent…and yet, family is not permanent. You can lose it. You can break it. You can drive it away. 

By all means, pursue your success. Realize your ambition. Just make sure it’s not coming at the cost of what actually matters.