RUST COMMENTARY: SOME REMARKABLY SIMPLE ADVICE FOR EVERYONE WITH A HECTIC LIFE

Every so often in this busy life I find I need to back off and put a perspective to life, to think about what is really important.

In the following remarks from a business executive, I think you'll find some guidelines that might be helpful.

(I'm also reading Proverbs, which is a fun, interesting and informative read).

A thought for the day: In a university commencement address, Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises said: "Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends, and spirit -- and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls -- family, health, friends and spirit -- are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless. Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life. Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other. Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give it. The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly. And the best way to keep love is to give it wings. Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going. Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily. Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why we call it "the present."

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Talent faces battle for governor's spot: If you underestimate Republican Congressman Jim Talent, you're making a mistake. The popular, intelligent, articulate Talent has proven himself as an effective congressman for his St. Louis district. But if Talent has his way, he'll be the next governor of Missouri.

Talent will start off at a distinct disadvantage. Bob Holden, the likely Democratic nominee, has run two statewide races and has ample name recognition. And Talent is from St. Louis. Missourians have not elected a St. Louis governor in nearly 60 years. Those two factors will surely work against him.

But if Talent can raise adequate funds and if the national Republican ticket is strong, he'll have an excellent chance of taking the Governor's Mansion. Those are two big "ifs" but both are critical to his election. And both -- at least to some extent -- are clearly out of his hands.

We would have strongly supported Lt. Gov. Roger Wilson to replace Mel Carnahan had Wilson decided to run. But he abruptly removed his name from consideration and opened the door even wider for Holden. We'd still love to see Wilson mount an 11th hour bid for the post but hold no hope that will happen.

The next governor will preside over redistricting that occurs every 10 years, and that makes the race even more important. And both parties are aware of that aspect of the race.

A spokesman for Carnahan quickly labeled Talent as a member of the extreme right wing of his party. But Carnahan's spokesman always says Republicans are from the extreme right. We wonder if that makes Carnahan from the extreme left, and, if so, is that what we want as a U.S. senator? I think not.

Get ready for a two-year campaign for the gubernatorial seat in Missouri. The only thing certain is that Missourians will be sick and tired of the race when election time rolls around. That much is certain from this point forward. -- Michael Jensen, Standard Democrat, Sikeston

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Protecting Marriage Project: Key House sponsors of a bill to overturn the marriage penalty in the tax code held a press conference echoing the themes Family Research Council and pro-family groups had advanced. Even a small group of GOP liberals have advanced a tax cut proposal of their own that includes a partial rollback of the marriage penalty.

The stakes in this debate are not purely financial. I received a full copy today of a new report called "Should We live Together?" from the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University. The project's directors, Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and David Popenoe, looked at the latest research on cohabitation before marriage, and the results challenge the perceived wisdom. They found that living together before marriage increases a couple's risk of breaking up after marriage; increases the risk of domestic violence for women and the risk of physical and sexual abuse for children; and leads to lower levels of happiness among unmarried couples compared to marrieds.

The total number of cohabiting couples has increased eightfold since 1960, and 60 percent of today's high school seniors now consider it a good idea. In short, today's federal tax code is ratifying and rewarding a damaging trend. -- Charles A. Donovan, Washington Update

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Ag ambassador is a worthwhile idea: U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft has introduced bipartisan legislation to create a permanent agriculture ambassador on foreign trade issues that are vital to farmers, including those in Missouri. The bill would make permanent the position of deputy special trade representative for agriculture.

One of the goals of creating the position would be to ensure that farming interests are represented properly in negotiating and enforcing trade agreements with other nations. More than one-fourth of farm income in Missouri is from overseas sales of food and fiber.

Another goal would be to make possible a level playing field for U.S. agricultural products and that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative would focus solely on opening foreign markets.

It is our belief that many Missourians are not aware of just how important agriculture is to the state's economy.

Ashcroft is a fiscal conservative and wouldn't suggest adding to the federal bureaucracy unless he realized there is an essential need. We like his idea and hope members of Congress embrace this bipartisan legislation. -- Washington Missourian

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How busy are you? There were only 24 hours in a day, then as now. But before he died in 1826, he had:

* Finished college in less than three years.

* Studied law and been admitted to the bar at age 24.

* Introduced crop rotation and terracing to the U.S.

* Designed and built his own home, designed one of the nation's leading universities and the capitol building of his own state.

* Invented a plow, a manifold signing machine, a letter-copy press, double-swinging doors, a seven-day calendar clock and countless other gadgets.

* Originated the decimal system for U.S. money.

* Played a violin well.

* Became a serious student of natural history, Indian languages, Latin, Greek, Italian, French, German, Anglo-Saxon, mathematics, history, geography, civics, economics and philosophy.

* Served as a member of his state legislature, governor, minister to France, secretary of state, vice president and president of the United States for two terms.

* Created the public school system in his state.

* Established the U.S. Military Academy and designed the uniforms the cadets still wear.

* Written the rules of parliamentary procedure under which the U.S. Senate still operates.

* Been an excellent host who enjoyed entertaining.

* Fought for a system of government that made the U.S. a democratic republic, not one ruled by the aristocracy.

* Written 16,000 letters to friends and colleagues all over the world.

* Designed his own gravestone and created the epitaph listing the three accomplishments of which he was proudest: "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence; of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom; and Father of the University of Virginia."

What a lesson to people who say, in these days of labor-saving devices: "I just don't have time."

~Gary Rust is president of Rust Communications, which owns the Southeast Missourian and other newspapers.