Christmas 2024 is in the books, and we start a new journey in 2025 with a new U.S. Presidential administration, new ideas and outlooks, and, most importantly, a new year to chart our path forward. If we could predict the future, it would make all of our decisions simple, right? If we always knew the results of our choices before we made them, wouldn’t that be amazing? The scary thing is that many of us do have the results of our choices; we just don’t want to believe them. Thus, the primary focus of this article is about being grateful—grateful for the people we have in our lives and thankful for the favor that has been bestowed on all of us.
So, How Do We Know the Answers to the Choices We Make?
Most of you don’t want to hear this, but it starts when we are young and our parents try to tell us what will happen, and we don’t believe them. To have years go by, efforts wasted, and, lo and behold, the future our parents predicted has occurred. Wisdom and experience can give us so many incredible insights into life! So now that we are adults, where can we find wisdom? If you are lucky enough to have grandparents, be grateful. If you still have your parents and are in a good relationship with them, be grateful. Be grateful if you have been wise enough to make friends with people of high standing and good morals. One of the most rewarding choices you can ever make is to choose the right people to surround yourself. If you are reading this article, you have made some great choices, as our people within ASPE are great people with whom to surround yourself. As we continue to work hard to provide educational content, leadership opportunities, and exposure to inspirational speakers, we offer mentoring and mental health activities.
I often tell my son, “Get your mind right.” The idea around the phrase is about opening our minds to greater possibilities. Don’t focus on one solution or one issue and shut your mind to logic and input. Don’t become stubborn. I ask that our members continue to develop their mental aptitudes as we progress through our careers. Continue to be grateful for the good things in our lives.
2025 Is Going to Be an Excellent Year for Our Society
Over the course of this year, I plan to bring back a virtual happy hour we call “Learning Hour.” It is a social hour where we talk about what it is like being a Chapter Officer and some of the challenges we face. Look for notices in your email or on social media for future Learning Hours.
Let’s take each day one at a time, putting in our work along the way, taking a few minutes each week to work for ASPE. Our efforts will come back to us in the form of results.
To wrap up this article, I wanted to reflect on one of the most important things in life to be grateful for: our friends. Many of you who have know me for years have heard me talk about a “two glasses of wine.” I have been unable to attain the source of the parody that I came across more than 10 years ago. It is posted on the following forum: community.adlandpro.com/forums/post/886943/Two-Glasses-of-Wine.aspx. (I am not advocating the forum; I only want to provide a reference for credit.)
TWO GLASSES OF WINE:
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine…
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.” The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
“The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff.
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend.”
With this Volume 4 of my articles, I am enclosing Volume 4 of the ASPE education crossword puzzle. Luther Thevenin, CPD, MCPPO, is one of our many talented contributors to the ASPE Education Committee, and he has put together some great puzzles for our ASPE community. So, take some time and complete the crossword puzzle. The answers will be posted in my next article.
Until next time…
