A holiday letter from the ARA President

Happy Holidays, one and all. During this festive season, we want to relax and spend time enjoying our family and friends. I know that it is often one of the most stressful times of the year. While we prepare for year-end accounting, new year budgeting, and the stressful task list, it is easy to lose sight of the fun part, relaxing.

This month’s newsletter is about us, my family of ARA members. I am so thankful and honored for the time you have allowed me to be your President. The last two years (or 10) have been interesting, saddening, tough, joyful, frustrating, and exciting. With your help, ARA has gone from being a marketing firm to a true association that provides: education, insurance programs, legal help, advocacy, industry communication, networking, professional designations’, job boards and human resource tools, Professional development, and the proliferation of codes of conduct and social responsibility within the industry.

Today, start to plan some decompression time and take a micro vacation from the day-to-day stress. Here are some ideas: eat dinner together, get away from social media for a day and participate in a face-to-face social gathering, eat comfort foods, drink responsibly, watch old movies or new ones, go for a 30-minute walk outside. Spend a little time alone in a comfortable room, with the lights off and shut down your brain, complete some small task you have been putting off, work remote for a day.

The song says, “So this is Christmas and what have you done” for me. This quote means to look back and give myself some hard-earned credit. YOU have done a lot. YOU survived and were resilient, so smile at yourself because the man in the mirror deserves a break.

Happy Holidays, stay safe, and next year we will solve all the problems.

Dave Kennedy