Next Slide, Please

by Dwayne Phillips

This one is finished. Time for the next one. It too will finish, and another one will come after it.

Many years ago as a much younger man, I spoke with a much older and wiser man. He was about to leave an assignment and begin another assignment. He had learned the phrase that is the title of this post. “When you are on the plane and it is taking off, you say, ‘Next slide, please.’”

“Next slide, please,” is what a speaker would say to an assistant while presenting materials to an audience. These were actual, physical slides — not just another electronic or virtual slide in PowerPoint.

This one is finished. It doesn’t matter if “this one” is a two-year assignment, a mid-term exam in college, or a meal with dishes waiting to be washed. It is time for the next one. Move on.

Some slides (experiences) are thrilling while some are dull. There is a long list of opposites that I could write. Nonetheless, learn — always optional and chosen too infrequently — and move on. Regardless of the value, perceived or otherwise, let go of that prior slide. It is finished.

Besides, I’ve already presented that slide. Let’s do something new.