PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE
Vision 20 / 20 – Focused on Recovery Step 3 – Who Moved My Cheese ? and Change is good .
Dean T . Xenick 2020-21 PBCBA President
Change is GOOD . Let me repeat that . Change is GOOD . More importantly , change is inevitable and necessary . So , we must learn how to make change good for us , rather than fight it and suffer the consequences . Such is the case in the Covid era . We have been forced to change the way we live , work , and play . The good news is , change usually leads to success and happiness , both in work life and home life .
If you have not read the book “ Who Moved My Cheese ?” by Spencer Johnson , I highly recommend you do so . It is a quick ( 96 pages ) and cheap ($ 11 on Amazon ) read that squarely addresses change and how to cope with it . This parable , with four mice as the main characters , starts out with the mice going to the same place every day to get their cheese , an abundance of cheese that no four mice could ever finish in their lifetime , or so they think . One day two of the mice decide to go somewhere else to find new cheese , in case their current “ cheese situation ” were to end . In doing so , they find other locations to get cheese . The other two mice mock them , resigned to keep going to the same spot every day , since they don ’ t think change will come and they will always have cheese . Well , you can guess what comes next . The cheese does end and that is where the story gets interesting .
An online review says the book reveals “ profound truths about dealing with change so that you can enjoy less stress and more success in your work and in your life .” In other words , we have to be alert to change and be prepared to go in search of new avenues for success . I have purchased this book for friends and family who were going through a time of change , whether professionally or personally , and they were thankful for its message . I would like to continue that tradition . Therefore , I will send the first 10 people to email me at dtx @ reidburmanlaw . com a free copy of Who Moved my Cheese ? When you are done reading it , I hope you will pass it along to someone close to you who is struggling with change .
Change can be stressful , but change can also be rewarding . As proof , I would like to congratulate the 2019- 2020 Bench Bar Committee , led by co-chairs Salesia Smith-Gordon and Mike Pike , on a VERY successful virtual Bench Bar series , which took place over four Fridays in August as Zoom webinars , rather than the usual one day seminar at the convention center . This is a clear example of change being good and effective . Fundamental to this accomplishment was our rock star Bar staff , who went above and beyond to make the “ virtual ” conference successful . Keep in mind we had several Zoom webinars taking place simultaneously on multiple days . Having seen what went on behind the scenes to pivot from a single all-day seminar to a four-day series , I can tell you that we have the best Bar staff in the country . Thank you to Carla , Lynne , Kathy , Eva , Dee , Nicole , Derek , and Emily for a job very well done !
By the time you read this , your Board will have met at our annual retreat to discuss what we can do this year to make your practices better and help you with change . So , please check our website , social media , and email blasts regularly . Upcoming events include :
October 2nd – Remote Proceedings in the 15th Circuit
October 6th – A Closer Look at Qualified Immunity Part One
October 9th – Nuts and Bolts of Local Government Operations During the Times of COVID-19
Remember you can purchase many of our CLEs on our website .
Lastly , I would encourage those who are having difficulty with change to get professional help . The Florida Bar , under President Dori Foster-Morales , recently launched the Florida Lawyers Hotline ( 833-FL1-WELL ), providing professional mental-health counseling with live counselors who can also make referrals for up to three free sessions with a licensed mental-health professional via phone or video . Calls to the helpline are unlimited and confidential — no personal information is provided to The Florida Bar , including the caller ’ s name .
I will leave you with a few quotes that hopefully will put a smile on your face , inspire you , or just help you cope with the change we are all experiencing .
“ Life moves pretty fast . If you don ' t stop and look around once in a while , you could miss it .” -Ferris Bueller
“ To improve is to change ; to be perfect is to change often .” -Winston Churchill
“ If you don ' t like something , change it . If you can ' t change it , change your attitude .” -Maya Angelou
“ Change is the law of life , and those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future .” -John F . Kennedy
“ The measure of intelligence is the ability to change .” -Albert Einstein
“ If I ’ d asked my customers what they wanted , they ’ d have said ‘ Don ’ t change anything .’” -Henry Ford
“ Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future .” -Walt Disney
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 3