Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, located in Angel Canyon just north of Kanab, Utah, is the largest no-kill shelter for abused and abandoned companion animals in the U.S. They welcome visitors to tour and volunteer to care for the pets.

My best friend, Debbie, and I spent a morning cleaning, caring for and communing with the feral cats under the supervision of Bob, self-declared King of the Cats. At first, Bob seemed overly-protective of his brood. As the morning warmed up, so did Bob.

Bob knew every name of the approximately 100 cats under his care. We were surprised at how many of these "feral" felines were friendly, affectionate and actually out-nudged each other for our attentions. It became clear that Bob's love has transformed these strays and alley cats.

Occasionally, Bob would appear with a mop, a litter scoop and a little bit of conversation. We learned that Bob was sort of a stray cat himself. His parents moved him around as a child and he never felt anywhere was home until he found Best Friends. He admitted to living a hard life. Other than a brief stay with his brother, he never felt connected to anyone or anyplace. We could feel the emptiness in his tone as he told us his story, a sense of being aimless and alone.

Bob started at Best Friends as a volunteer, then earned an internship. Although he excelled in his role, he beamed when he told us how he was promoted to a full-time position without any specific training.

However, he kept interrupting himself to apologize for seeming “out of sorts and out of whack.” Apparently, he hadn't slept much the night before. It had been his day off and he had worried about his cats.

Not that he slept much any night. He told us that fifteen-hour days seemed more the rule than the exception. He also apologized for not joining us in the break room. He just didn't see the sense in taking time off to chat with colleagues about what they did the night before when his cats needed him more.

Bob did say he needed to learn how to relax, maybe. It sounded as if someone had told him this, or he read it somewhere. It didn't seem as if it were his desire. We sensed he was more embarrassed, as if he were afraid he'd be judged for his lack of balance.

It led Debbie and I to question a battle cry of our generation, stating that we need life balance to be healthy and happy. Workaholism has become one of the seven deadly sins. People without family and recreation are made to feel guilty for their focused fervor.

So the question is, “Does everyone need balance?” When we look at Bob, and see the fulfillment he gets from living every moment with his passion, even if it keeps him up at night, we agreed that balance may be overrated. Balance may not be for everyone. It's certainly not for Bob. We found him perfect the way he is.

In fact, we envied Bob. Do not most people seek the singular passion to which to devote their lives? And Bob gave me the freedom to work guilt-free into the night when doing what I love.

It's true that I need to check in with my desire, my spirit, and my physical body regularly. If I had a family, I would need to stay aware of their needs. Yet a life out of balance is not necessarily out of whack when fueled by passion. We invite you to witness the magic of Bob at Best Friends.

Marcia Reynolds, author of Capture the Rapture: How to Step Out of Your Head and Leap Into Life and her latest, How to Outsmart Your Brain, is the president of Covisioning, a coaching and training company focused on helping people and organizations access emotional intelligence and courage to reach their visions. You can read more about Marcia and her work at this website, www.outsmartyourbrain.com. Find out more about Marcia.

Special thanks to Debbie Basehore for her help in writing this article. You can read more about Best Friends Animal Sanctuary at www.bestfriends.org.