HAPPY NEW YEAR, OG's! Here is to a prosperous 2025!
As we wrap up 2024, many of us reflect on the year's events. We view those events as positive, negative, or somewhere in between while also considering what we are thankful for and the lessons we've learned from our experiences.
My reflection on 2024 begins with my journey, which started in late 2023. I faced significant health challenges, including mobility issues and two knee replacement surgeries. As 2024 began, my recovery was in full swing, but I continued to encounter health issues, including weight management and cervical spine problems. Despite these obstacles, I persevered, and in 2024, two additional surgeries continued the trend that started in 2023.
Life is a journey, and the last 16 months have certainly been that for me. What I choose to focus on is not just what happened during that time but rather the expected outcomes. For me, the idea of having four surgeries seemed daunting. However, the OUTCOME of regaining my health was something I desperately needed, and surgery was the path I needed to follow to achieve that goal.
What were the results? There are four significant milestones worth sharing. First, and probably the most impactful, I have lost 145 pounds as of this post. Because of this weight loss, I am now off all but one of my prescription medications, and I haven't felt this good since my time in the military. Additionally, I have fully recovered from both knee replacements and truly enjoyed our cruise this past November. The combination of my new knees and lower weight allowed me to move freely and fully enjoy the experience, including an all-access ship tour that involved a lot of walking—without any worry or hesitation.
And as the infomercials always say, "But wait, there's more"! In December this year, I had my fourth surgery to fuse my cervical spine, which I had been putting off for years. But, when I woke up from the procedure, there was no question that it was the right decision because I woke up pain-free.
So, at this point in reading, you're probably like, "Good for you, Bruce. But what's the point in this for the OG Society and me?" It's a fair question, and here is the point.
As I have gone through these experiences, I have learned and come to appreciate one very important thing. Don't focus on goals or objectives you hope to achieve. A built-in failure mechanism gives you a pass if you don't get to where you intend to. I'll always cite New Year's resolutions as the key example of what I am talking about. Many people talk about them and set a resolution to improve in the new year. But, few achieve what they set out to do. And there is no accountability or consequence when you fail to achieve what you set out to do either. Usually just an "Oh well, I'll try to do better."
What we must focus on is OUTCOMES. The OG Society's mission statement is to "Leave It Better Than You Found It," everything from our logo to our brand includes the acronym (LIBTYFI) as a reminder of our focus. But each one of us that aligns as an OG needs to be asking ourselves, what are we doing daily to uphold this mission? That's right, DAILY! As we wrap up 2024, it's essential to reflect on the year's events and recognize the lessons learned and the gratitude we hold. Your daily commitment is what will make a difference.
So, as we are on the eve of 2025, I am challenging myself, and as the founder of the OG Society, anyone and everyone who aligns with the OG mission, what are the OUTCOMES you want to see within your circle of influence this new year? Maybe it's to earn a new certification, maybe it's to mentor that pain in the butt in your firehouse to be better, or perhaps it's to be a better spouse, parent, or family member. And it doesn't have to be just one thing. If you want to take on multiple priorities, that's good for you.
But don't fall into the trap of saying, "I want to be better," because we all do, and we all fail miserably.
In mid-2023, I said I wanted to be in better health, which is great, but HOW did I plan to get there? While the outcome was better health, I had to reverse engineer a system with specific goals of how to achieve what I wanted. The system was a plan for four surgeries with particular goals that each surgery would help me achieve with the outcome of better health. And being able to say that I have achieved that outcome is excellent! But it did take work, focus, determination, and sometimes total grit to stay the course and not give up on the outcome.
The OG Society started in August of this year, and while we have made progress, we haven't achieved all the outcomes that I had hoped for to date. Sure, I could place blame in a thousand different directions, but that doesn't change the fact that we haven't fully achieved the outcomes I had set forth. However, I believe that acknowledging our challenges and failures is the first step towards overcoming them and achieving our desired outcomes.
As the Founder and Director of the Fire Division of the OG Society, I am personally committed to the mission and outcomes of the OG Society. Here are my outcomes planned for 2025:
Weekly blog articles: Each division will push them out as we have topics. WE NEED YOUR HELP by submitting topic ideas or full articles to review and publish. The society belongs to all of us. It's not just a pet project for me. The OG Society is OUR society, not MY society.
Podcasts: We have promised this since our beginning yet have failed to produce a single one to date. We will begin sharing Podcasts in March. Promise!
Membership: Many of you have wanted to have the option to be a member, but we haven't produced the program yet. By July 1, 2025, we will have content that will be free as a member. At that time, the member site will be ready, so there is value in being an OG member. Stay tuned.
Mentoring: I have been working with a couple of local brothers, and we are developing a local OG Leadership Saturday concept that will meet bi-weekly. This will begin in early March for those who want to become leaders or who aspire to be better leaders. I am a continued work in progress, and I hope to learn as much from you as I can share from my lessons learned as we journey together on leadership.
Getting others involved: So far, the heavy lifting has been on my shoulders, which I am glad to do since I started this in the first place. However, several of you have expressed interest in getting more involved. Please reach out to me personally and tell me what you want to do. I am here to open doors, give you opportunities, and support you in what you are passionate about. Let's get going together!
So, yep, this is a lot, and if you have stuck with me to this point, I'm glad you did. I am still incredibly excited about what the OG society can do and how we can genuinely LIBTYFI daily.
So, my challenge to you and me is: What are you going to do today to make a difference? It doesn't have to be big, but it must be deliberate and positively impactful.
My commitment to you, my fellow OGs, is that I will walk the walk and talk the talk. Each day, I will find a way to make public safety better at the end of the day than it was when I found it when I woke up. And I will do this EVERY DAY.
Please join me, and let's improve public safety for us all!
In Service,
Bruce
