The Chairman's Corner

By John Lance
October 2017

Last month, I spoke about Hurricane Harvey and the devastation it caused in Texas. No sooner had I spoken about that, Hurricane Irma developed out in the Atlantic and was reported as the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in history. For the next week, I watched the news as Hurricane Irma ripped through the Caribbean Islands and headed for Florida. I could not even imagine being in a situation like that. Evacuate? Really? I would not even know where to begin! What I noticed in preparation for this hurricane is that people took the evacuation orders more serious. The news articles I have seen over the last several weeks are devastating. Thousands of people lost everything they have worked for all their life. I cannot imagine starting all over, but that’s what you have to do. Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers as they begin to rebuild.

My brother and his wife joined Bernie and I on a trip to Idaho a couple of weeks ago. Bernie and I will be retiring in a small community named Bonners Ferry Idaho in a few years. It is 100 miles directly north out of Coeur d’Alene Idaho. Every time we visit there, we learn more and more about the history surrounding that whole area. It is peaceful, beautiful and a completely different life style than here in California. People actually wave as they pass each other. My brother and his wife had never been up there with us. They were surprised at how people live there the same as here, but without the traffic and congestion we face every day here in California. They live a lot healthier lives and are not always going 90 miles an hour in a rush to nowhere. California has always been one of the most beautiful states in the country with everybody wanting to come here. Well folks, we have run out of room. You can read everyday about the problems with our traffic, housing, and the concerns there are about what people are going to do in another 10 years from now the way this state is growing. I hope our government figures out a way to fix this problem soon, as it will only get worse. Don’t get me wrong my friends, I love this state and always have, but something has to give.  Anyways, if you want to be in the moving business, California is the place to be.

Did you know how walking can change your life? Walking can do more for your life than just improve your health. Here are a few additional advantages of putting one foot in front of the other for 20 minutes a day.

IDEAS: They will slowly swirl up from your subconscious, boosting your creativity for problem solving and organizing. Walking puts you into a meditative state that encourages deep thoughts in a way that other forms of exercise don’t.

FEELINGS: You might be experiencing great happiness or sadness, or even anxiety. Walking helps you work through feelings and reduce cortisol levels, helping you feel greater calm and control.

SIGHTS: When you walk, you see things that can spark new ideas, solutions, or perspectives. It’s helpful to walk in a beautiful place and notice the beauty, because seeing beauty lifts the spirit and lowers stress hormones. (We all need this in the peak of summer in the moving business!)

PEOPLE: You might encounter other humans as you walk. Those people might think differently than your usual crowd, giving you new perspectives and even friendships.

HORMONE HEALTH: You know that walking helps you lose weight, improve your heart rate, and lower stress hormones. But did you know that it will also increase healthy hormones, such as testosterone and progesterone?

Now that I have given you my latest health report, go take a nice long walk. OH, don’t forget to take your pooch with you as they need exercise as well.

Most chapters have already planned their fundraising events that will take place from now through April. It is important that we all try and support each other’s chapter events as time and travel permits. Our chapter presidents work hard in planning these events. Any support they get is greatly appreciated and it’s a great way of networking with one another.

I start my travels with President Weitekamp in a couple of weeks from now.  I am looking forward to visiting with all of you as we attend your chapter meeting. We have companies that we will be dropping in on to visit so this will be exciting for me to see how other people operate.

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

Now go take on the day and I will see you next month!

October 2017 - CMSA Communicator