I have two speeds – stop and go.
I am a past and future thinker. I too often look in the rearview mirror ruminating about how I could have done things differently. I recount in painstaking detail what’s next – writing and rewriting my to-do lists. I have sticky notes, index cards and random slips of paper everywhere, and I maintain no less than five notebooks with bulleted action items.
As I type these words, I pause, put my hand over my chin and purse my lips in dismay. No wonder I feel stressed and overwhelmed; no wonder balance is a challenge.
In my insatiable quest for more and better, to get things done and to achieve, I sometimes forget to slow down, reflect and be present in the moment.
As we prepare for Thanksgiving, I pledge to pause – to express gratitude for all that I have and all that is right and to show appreciation for all the aspects I enjoy about public relations and my work as a communications manager at Duke Energy.
Thank you, power plant workers, for providing one of life’s essential services and powering our lives 24-hours a day. I am most at home when I’m with you boots on the ground in the thick of the action at a humming power plant.
Thank you, Duke Energy, for giving me flexibility to work at my power plant and at home – and for trusting me to prioritize how I complete my work.
Thank you, public relations profession, for giving me a variety of complex work that fuels my brain and never feels boring – from managing communications for $5 billion in projects to deploying 11 times to support hurricanes.
Thank you, Accredited in Public Relations and Image processes, for teaching me the formula to strategically serve my clients. I feel great satisfaction when proving my actions led to tangible results.
And Thank you, FPRA Ocala Chapter friends and colleagues. You are pros, and I am learning a tremendous amount from you through this experience as your president. We’re getting into the rhythm of the new chapter year, and I’m excited about all we will accomplish together.
I look forward to seeing you all in-person for our next professional development session on Nov. 19.
With kindness,
h.
Heather Danenhower, APR, CPRC