Is there a balance in life?

Is there a balance in this life?  I'm not talking about a balance between the good and evil we can do, or the balance that we have between God and our relationships, but a balance in the ups and downs in our lives.  When I was at my home church this Sunday we talked about the story of the prodigal son.  We characterized the prodigal son as the one who comes to Christ and the elder brother who does not want him back.  We characterized the elder brother as "Christians" in today's world because of how we normally act toward others who make a new faith in Christ.  Some people said how sometimes they feel like the prodigal son making a new commitment to God, but then other times hit a low point and feel like the elder brother who does not want to deal with anything.  My question here, and a question that many in the group asked, what is the balance between the two?
The apostle Peter is known as "the man who does not think before he speaks".  Over and over again in the Gospels he just says things.  When Jesus says that he is going to die Peter rebukes him.  Not to often do I see students argue a teacher on an important issue and tell them they are wrong.  This example may not even be close to the implications that Peter used to challenge Jesus, but it is an example none the less and I believe helps see what it may have been like from our worldly stand point.  We also know that Peter later denies ever knowing Jesus.  Talk about a person who (I believe to) clearly represent the elder brother!  But, the story does not end there.
Peter later is confronted by Jesus asking if he even truly loves him.  Peter answers three times with "I do love you Lord".  Here, we could look at the Greek meaning and find that he used a different love, and that some think Jesus asked him three times to redeem Peter from when he denied him, but that is another story for another time.  However, what Jesus says next is important, he indicates the kind of death that "would glorify God" (v. 19).  This, along with what Peter does in Acts 2 is amazing to think that we can relate to this man!  Peter begins the journey living like the elder brother, but then goes changes his life and lives like the prodigal son.  Later, Paul rebukes Peter for only talking to Jews and not Gentiles.  What a story of a man that does not have a balance in his life but that is one instance with Jesus, then denies him, then is given honor to glorify God, then messes up again!
My answer is simple here, the balance between this is what we want to make of it.  If I had an answer to this question, I could most likely be a millionaire, and my college debt tells me that has not happened yet.  I believe the answer truly relies on what we want to make of our lives.  Do we want to live like the prodigal son that will soon grow up to become a loving person like his father?  Or, do we want to go back and live like the elder brother and be judgmental?  The choice really does belong to us, my question is then, where do you believe your balance is?