By SHERRY HALBROOK
Do you ever feel pulled in too many directions at the same time, and no
matter how hard you try, you know you are going to come up short somewhere?
The PEF Women’s Committee feels your frustration. That’s why it devoted its
meeting time at the PEF convention in September to teaching delegates some
strategies for coping.
“How to create and maintain balance in your life was our topic,” said
Women’s Committee Chair Germaine Greco, “and our three guest speakers
addressed it from different perspectives. One of the delegates to our 2006
Convention meeting had suggested the topic of balancing work life with
personal fitness and health.”
Susan Tendy, an associate professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West
Point, showed how to use a wheel-shaped diagram to determine if your life is
in balance, or if some aspects are taking too much of your time and effort
at the expense of others.
Lorraine Hannon, the deputy chief of internal affairs for the Nassau County
Police Department, discussed ways to bring your life into balance.
And state Supreme Court Judge Ed McCarty of Nassau County talked about how
to tell positive opportunities from dangerous or negative risks and the
importance of taking the right risks in moving your life forward.
“The speakers explained this is a learning process. First you identify what
needs to change in your life. Then you make up your mind to commit to making
that change happen. And finally you must establish a support system to help
you succeed,” Greco said.
A secondary theme of the speakers, Greco said, was the need to recognize the
common bonds we share with other people and the importance of looking out
for others as well as ourselves.
Greco said she wants to encourage members to work with their PEF regional
coordinators to organize women’s committees in their regions. Most regions
had committees in years past, but only a few have been active in recent
years.
