IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Fall 2016 | Page 55

Borough Manager’s Message “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive.” George Zboyovsky, PE – Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer Part Deux – The Secret to a Long Life Pondering what to write about in my Manager’s Article I received a nice phone message from a Mrs. Mary Dower who simply called me to compliment my last article that pertained to keeping a positive outlook on life. She also wanted to fill me in on a little secret she told me. She explained to me that as she goes around visiting her friends, some of which are 100+, she noticed that they all have a positive nature and are generally happy people. She informed me that THIS is the SECRET to living a long life. I loved her one comment to me, “that there is so much news in the media about what is killing people when they should be focusing on what is keeping us alive.” How true is that? However, to Mrs. Dower the answer is clear; it is having “A POSITIVE ATTITUDE”! There is just so much negativity in the world today. Terrorist, National Leaders Lying, National Leaders acting like children and calling names, hate crimes, homelessness, and of course the hateful things that are spread on “Hatebook”…I mean Facebook. This just goes on and on and on. It is as if we all gave up trying to be nice each other. It’s as if we are so exhausted and tired of trying. In Matthew Kelly’s book, “Resisting Happiness”, he states that every day, we encounter resistance. From hitting the snooze button every morning for a few more precious moments of sleep to vegging out in front of the television in an attempt to escape reality for a few hours. We procrastinate. We lack the courage to turn our lives around and simply treat one another with kindness. Community that know this secret to longevity. I’d like to run a section in future editions of the IN Community Magazine that spotlights one of our residents who is 95+ years young. If you meet this description or know someone who does, please send me their information via my email address at [email protected] or give me a call at 412-884-1500 ext. 110. Let’s see if we can make this section take off and confirm Mrs. Dower’s theory that the Secret to Long Life is having a positive and happy outlook. I’ll leave you with another quote she told me that I believe is necessary to start the next generation of positive thinking people. She told me that the way children spell LOVE is T-I-M-E. She explained that they do not want toys or games or “stuff” but for us to show them that we care for them by spending our TIME with them. So let’s stop procrastinating and coming up with excuses. Let’s stop hitting that snooze button, and let’s be courageous by simply taking this small step to celebrate those who have been through many more years than us and who have done so with smiles on their faces. By the way, I won’t disclose Mrs. Dower’s age but with her attitude she is going to outlive us all. After speaking with Mrs. Dower, a light bulb went off above my head. Let’s share this SECRET with everyone! I would like to expand on this concept by talking to and possibly feature those in our C IRTENT B Y OFWOOD MC KE EBOROU SP OR TGH N EN WS EWS BOROUGH NEWS McKeespor Brentwood t Briefly Brentwood Have a great Fall everyone!!! George Zboyovsky, PE Borough Manager RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT CRITICAL TO SUCCESS OF STRATEGIC PLAN Brentwood Borough is preparing to complete its biennial strategic plan and is inviting residents to assist with the creation of this critical policy document. Although originally developed for use in the corporate world, strategic planning is now embraced at all levels of government as a valuable tool for assessing internal conditions, setting goals and priorities, and outlining specific policy objectives. A well-crafted strategic plan strengthens our community by providing a framework for the allocation of scarce resources. To participate in the strategic planning process, please complete our goal-setting survey, which can be found electronically at www.brentwoodboro.com. To request that a paper copy of the survey be mailed to you at no cost, please contact the Borough at 412-884-1500 x112. Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall | Fall 2016 | icmags.com 53