Getting our engines revived at the IPMI 2021 Conference – ParkNews.biz Nov 30th – Dec 6th, 2021
Getting our engines revived at the IPMI 2021 Conference – ParkNews.biz Nov 30th – Dec 6th, 2021
Last week, many of us were privileged to attend IPMI 2021 conference and expo in Tampa. It was truly such a joy to see so many friends and colleagues in the most beautiful setting of waterfront Tampa, FL. I was especially excited to see my colleagues from Europe as the Parking Network Team from Holland and several other colleagues from UK and Austria.
The joy of people seeing people in person was palpable. Yes, we had our PIE show this year and NPA happened also – the latter one, I didn’t attend so I don’t know. With IPMI this year, the engines are moving full speed. As our inner engines.
The pandemic has taken a toll on all of us, consciously and unconsciously. One had to only listen to the most amazing Cindy Campbell and her presentation “When Enough is Enough: Setting Professional Boundaries with Angry Customers”, how tight wired we all are. By the way, I truly believe that Cindy Campbell is our own version of Brene Brown. Not only is Cindy brilliant and kind, just as Brene, she uses her own experiences and observations, to give us the data an the tools. And for us to reflect and learn.
For one, have you thought why others are rude? Never mind that, I myself might be rude yet, of course I am mightier than thou so pointing fingers is easier.
Cindy lists causes of rudeness:
- Inflated self-worth (entitlement)
- Low self-wroth (fear, inferiority)
- Stress
- Materialism
- Perception of Injustice
- Mental health issues
Wouldn’t it make a difference for all of us, if we reflect that the other might be going through some challenges or have a personality defect, as we all do, before judging them?
As Shunryu Suzuki says in his, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice, “Emotionally we have many problems, but these problems are not actual problems; they are something created; they are problems pointed out by our self-centered ideas or views.”
Cindy Campbell asked us how many of us thing we have believes or are strong in our believes. Apropos of Suzuki, Cindy invited us to wake up and realize that our believes are just opinions.
Thank you so much Cindy for once again giving me both a lesson and a blessing. I am thrilled to see you present at our PIE 2022 in Reno, NV.
Last but not least, this coming issue of Parking Today, Jan 2022, we have a page or two dedicated to the visual aspects of all of us and parking. Thus, we are celebrating you all and parking via some pinned pics. For now, the pics come from me. Yet, in the future, I hope you will send me your photographs of you and your colleagues and friends and parking, so we can include them in PT. As find yourself on our pages. You are pinned with gratitude and appreciation that you are. Because no matter our challenges, we are all so blessed to be here in the now.
Have the most magical Christmas Season. Thank you IPMI for the most magical conference.
Sincerely,
Astrid Ambroziak
Editor, ParkNews.biz
Creative Director
Parking Today
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