A Look in the Mirror

Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
Cover for National Police Credit Union
Thank you for 50 (!) years of service! Enjoy your retirement and stay safe!Image attachmentImage attachment+1Image attachment

Thank you for 50 (!) years of service! Enjoy your retirement and stay safe! ... See MoreSee Less

13 hours ago
NEW EPISODE: Pre-Approval Costs

The Mortgage Beat is live with an all-new episode featuring John Aretos, CEO, Police Mortgage, created For First Responders Who Are Second to None!

To hear the episode, please visit: https://policemortgage.com/mortgage-beat-episodes/.

#PoliceMortgage #Mortgage #FirstResponders #LawEnforcement #EverybodyGoesHomeLetsGetHomeTogether

NEW EPISODE: Pre-Approval Costs

The Mortgage Beat is live with an all-new episode featuring John Aretos, CEO, Police Mortgage, created For First Responders Who Are Second to None!

To hear the episode, please visit: policemortgage.com/mortgage-beat-episodes/.

#PoliceMortgage #mortgage #firstresponders #lawenforcement #everybodygoeshomeletsgethometogether
... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

National Police Credit Union is honored to welcome the Merrillville Police Department (Indiana) into our field of membership. We look forward to serving you and your families. ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago
Congratulations! Thank you! Stay safe!Image attachmentImage attachment+8Image attachment

Congratulations! Thank you! Stay safe! ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago
We will Never Forget.

We will Never Forget.Today we remember and honor Everett Police Department Officer, Dan Rocha. Officer Rocha lost his life in the line of duty on this day in 2022. Gone but not forgotten. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago
Congratulations!! Stay safe!

Congratulations!! Stay safe!Help us congratulate Officer Gualbert Button, our newest TMPA member at the Kennedale Police Department! 🚔 Sworn in Friday among family, friends, and peers, his journey from the Philippines, academic achievements, and previous police service set the stage for his new role.

Again, congratulations brother, we are eager to see you succeed! #TMPAFamily #KennedalePD
... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago
Thank you for your service, K9 Drago!
Congratulations, Sgt. Jorge! Stay safe!

Thank you for your service, K9 Drago!
Congratulations, Sgt. Jorge! Stay safe!Drago will spend his retirement days at Sgt. Jorge's home enjoying family and fun times. K9 Drago has retired from the Essex County Sheriff's Department after serving since 2018. His partner K9 Sgt. Leonardo Jorge has been promoted to their Investigations Unit.
... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago
Happy birthday, K9 Freya!

Happy birthday, K9 Freya!Happy birthday to K9 Freya of the Grand County Sheriff's Office - Colorado. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago
Congratulations and thank you! Stay safe!Image attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

Congratulations and thank you! Stay safe! ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago
💙💙💙💙

💙💙💙💙Cute, a future police officer posing for a photo with the Troy Police Department. ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
Congratulations and thank you! Stay safe!Image attachmentImage attachment

Congratulations and thank you! Stay safe! ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
Welcome and thank you! Stay safe!

Welcome and thank you! Stay safe!The Lincoln Township Police Department would like to take this opportunity to welcome Officer Brock Emery to the department. Officer Emery is a local resident and is a graduate of Lakeshore Public Schools. Officer Emery attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College and then Madonna University. After college, Officer Emery enlisted in the Army. During his time in the Army, Officer Emery was involved in the Presidential Escort Detail and the Caisson Platoon. Officer Emery is married and currently lives here in Lincoln Township. Welcome Officer Emery. ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
Welcome and thank you! Stay safe!

Welcome and thank you! Stay safe!We are so excited to welcome the inaugural Members of
The Ennis Police Department Detention Facility!

Detention Officer Jonathan Villagran, Detention Officer Christopher Stroud, Detention Officer Dillon Oates,
Detention Officer Angelica Estrada, Detention Supervisor David Dodd

We look forward to a long, prosperous, and successful journey as our department continues to grow and become a premier Law Enforcement Agency in Ellis County.

Congratulations on joining our community.

Service, Honor, and Vigilance.
... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
Welcome and thank you! Stay safe!Image attachmentImage attachment

Welcome and thank you! Stay safe! ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
Welcome and thank you! Stay safe!

Welcome and thank you! Stay safe!Help us welcome Levi Birkey to the police department. Officer Birkey comes to us with two years of police experience. He will begin 12 weeks of field training starting Sunday. ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
NEW EPISODE: The Unpredictability of 2024

The Mortgage Beat is live with an all-new episode featuring John Aretos, CEO, Police Mortgage, created For First Responders Who Are Second to None!

To hear the episode, please visit: https://policemortgage.com/mortgage-beat-episodes/.

#PoliceMortgage #Mortgage #FirstResponders #LawEnforcement #EverybodyGoesHomeLetsGetHomeTogether

NEW EPISODE: The Unpredictability of 2024

The Mortgage Beat is live with an all-new episode featuring John Aretos, CEO, Police Mortgage, created For First Responders Who Are Second to None!

To hear the episode, please visit: policemortgage.com/mortgage-beat-episodes/.

#PoliceMortgage #mortgage #firstresponders #lawenforcement #everybodygoeshomeletsgethometogether
... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
Congratulations and thank you for 45(!!!!) years of service, Superintendent Clapprood! That is an incredible milestone! All the best and every success in your retirement! Stay safe!Image attachment

Congratulations and thank you for 45(!!!!) years of service, Superintendent Clapprood! That is an incredible milestone! All the best and every success in your retirement! Stay safe! ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago
Thank you for 28 years of service! 
#Hero

Thank you for 28 years of service!
#heroWell done Brother. Lieutenant Pablo Cruz has retired from the Ohio State Highway Patrol after 28 years of service.
... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Latest Tweets

Feed Them Social: TikTok Feed not loaded, please add your Access Token from the Gear Icon Tab.

A Look in the Mirror

We have a cat.  His name is Catso.  Although he was named many years ago when our kids were much younger, his name still fits his personality.

He is a thin, striped tabby and, if you were to look at him, I am certain you would think he looks like an ordinary, standard house cat.

What you think, however, is not at all important to Catso because, when he looks in the mirror, he sees a lion.  He sees a confident, fearless, king capable of achieving anything he sets his mind to and he is the absolute ruler of his domain.

Whatever predicament he gets himself into, he always looks as though he is exactly where he expected to be and however many of his nine lives he uses, he never displays an ounce of fear or worry.  He has been at death’s door at least twice and, if not for my wife’s quick actions, would have walked through it, but you would never know any of that has bothered him or was even slightly on his mind if you met him today.

So, as I look at him lying in our dryer and at risk of going unnoticed as the next load of laundry gets piled on top of him eventually leading to the next catastrophe he will inevitably encounter, I wonder what our world would be like if each of us looked in the mirror and saw a lion.

As human beings, we face real issues.  We experience a wide spectrum of emotions.  We are clearly more complex than a simple house cat.  This also means that we are capable of logical thought and that we can reason.  We have effective tools to counter what can be daunting challenges.  We have effective tools, but do we use them effectively?

In my completely amateur opinion, I think we overemphasize the complexities we face while simultaneously underestimating our ability to handle them.  In other words, I believe that much of what keeps us from seeing a lion in the mirror is our own self-imposed limitations.

One of the reason Catso sees a lion staring back at him is because his mind is not capable of polluting itself with self-induced worry and unnecessary concerns.  He has a short memory when he needs to have one and is, therefore, fully capable of living in the moment without being weighed down by his past or unduly focused on his future.

The closest equivalent I can find in the human world is the mind of a youth.  The exact age and situation is obviously different for each kid or young adult.  If the circumstances are conducive, a feeling of invincibility is apt to set in sometime after middle school, but before that young adult has been working for a living for at least two years.

At that magic age, you are aware of your own abilities and not yet burdened with the cynicism that can accompany heartache or a feeling of failure.  You are aware of your surroundings, but your past is something that occurred when you were a little kid and you have no real idea of what the future holds for you, so you tend not to spend a lot of time thinking about it.  Your energy level reflects your enthusiasm and your optimism is untarnished.

I don’t think youth is wasted on the young.  I think wisdom is wasted on the elder.

The cynicism and worry that bounces off the young is often an onus to those of us who are old enough to know better.  Just as life brings some disappointment and difficulty, it also includes take-your-breath-away moments and pure joy.  While most of us have the tools to effectively cope with whatever comes our way and the ability to focus on the wonderful things that occur instead of just the tough times, rational thought often loses out to irrational fear.  The wisdom gained through the living of life is wasted.

As I get older, I am more aware of my tendency to think in contingencies, sometimes even before a contingency is even necessary.  I ask myself whether I am approaching a certain decision from a position of strength and wisdom or from a place of fear and worry.  If the answer is that I feel confident because I am utilizing my well-earned wisdom, yet I am still aware of what may go wrong, and I proceed forward as a result, I know I am making a decision from a position of strength.  If I were to look in the mirror at that moment, I may not see a lion, but I would very likely see a positive and competent version of myself.

If, however, I find myself choosing to sit out or to not engage, or in any way shrinking from that next challenge (or opportunity!) then I know that I am falling victim to my own self-imposed limitations.  Were I to look in the mirror at this point, I know I would not like what I saw.

What you see when you look in the mirror is your choice.  The lion within, or the most positive and capable version of you, exists.  Whether you see him or not relies on your willingness to identify your strengths and your unique traits and to use them to clear and push past your own self-imposed limitations.

Scott Arney
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago Patrolmen’s Federal Credit Union

Share This Post

Recent Posts

How many times have you heard these statements uttered? I was thinking that instead of trying to define an intangible, highly subjective concept such as fairness by what it is not, it might be worthwhile to take a crack at what it is.
If rain is a possibility in a weather forecast, the prediction will usually be based on a percentage chance of that rain, such as “there is a 40% chance of rain tomorrow.”

GO!

Learn more about Strategies for Investing at the Credit Union’s next Financial Fitness for First Responders, a free online virtual educational seminar created for Law Enforcement Officers and their families. For more information, visit our website.

GO!

Learn more about Strategies for Investing at the Credit Union’s next Financial Fitness for First Responders, a free online virtual educational seminar created for Law Enforcement Officers and their families. For more information, visit our website.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

We’d love to add you to our mailing list.