If you’ve never seen the movie, “The Bucket List” with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman you should rent it. Without spoiling it for you, the premise of the movie is based on the things we would like to accomplish before we pass from this earth.
I think autumn with all its back-to-school frenzy is the time of the year when we all sit back and take mental assessment of our lives since high school or maybe since college, especially if you’ve attended a recent class reunion. You know…where you sit there thinking, “I thought by now I’d have finished my bachelor’s degree, or traveled to Europe, or fallen in love and married.” And the other one, “Look at John. He was such a dweeb in high school, and now he’s driving a Mercedes.” Hmmm…
Life is all about the choices we make and what we decide our “bucket list” should include. Some folks seem to make all the right turns when they come to the proverbial fork in the road, while others seem to always meander off course and wonder what the heck happened. Do I want to spend XX dollars on the books and tuition to complete my bachelor’s, master’s etc? Do I want to spend my time on self improvement that will make a difference? Would I rather spend the money on that trip, the bathroom update, the new motorcycle?
For those graduating from the Certified Public Managers Program this month, their investment in time and effort, their agencies’ investment in staff improvement, and their co-workers’ investment in helping them to achieve success all come together to improve Oklahoma. Those choices insure that Oklahoma citizens will reap the benefits of the best-equipped managers to deal with the many challenges state government faces every day.
Don’t forget to broaden your Professional Development Training to include the American Academy of Certified Public Managers’ Conference in Oklahoma City Oct. 17 – 19. This year there are even more opportunities to get involved on a national level and network with Certified Public Managers from all over the U.S. I encourage each of you to register and join us at the Cox Convention Center for what will truly be an unbelievable experience! www.aacpmconference.com
As I look back on my “bucket list,” my time and friends in the Oklahoma Society of CPMs have been and continue to remain in the top 10!
With Best Regards,
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Paula Printup-Porter, CPM
