Stop and Smell the Turkey!
John Ruffini
Trainer of Top Performing Recruiters & Recruiting Managers | Transformational Leader | 2x Best-Selling Author | Adoptive Parent | Speaker | Mentor | Promoter of Positivity
You cannot change the past.
And you know not what the future holds.
Which is why it is so important to be present…in the present.
This week brings my personal favorite holiday of the year – Thanksgiving.
It’s my favorite for a number of reasons, but mainly because this is the holiday that is all about the three F’s: Family, Food, and Football.
And really, it doesn’t get much better than that in my book.
But, so often in life, even at holiday time, we allow ourselves to get distracted. We worry about the future, we wonder what someone is doing, what somebody said, what is happening somewhere else…and we spend WAY too much time scrolling through our phones looking at how perfect everyone else’s holidays are going. Yeah, no one is going to post that they overcooked the turkey, spilled the gravy, or had overly lumpy mashed potatoes…which I love by the way…but I digress. This is why I like to refer to a certain social media outlet as ‘Fakebook.’
Yet we allow this to influence our mood. We allow it and other distractions to take us away from the present…from OUR holiday.
But you don’t have to. It’s a choice we all make. And I know which one I am going to make.
The world is full of unknowns and there is so much we cannot control. However, one thing I have learned from experience is that no matter how tough or bad things may get, it can always be worse. And I am thankful for the blessings I have been given and grateful for each and every day…because we never know when it will be our last.
So, this week, be present. Enjoy your time, be it alone or with others. Take some time to reflect on what you are thankful for. And of course, make time to stop and smell the turkey (or whatever it is you are cooking).
Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, and peaceful Thanksgiving!
John Ruffini is the Vice President of Professional Development for HealthTrust Workforce Solutions in Sunrise, Florida. He is a 30-year recruiting veteran, trainer, and motivator and is the author of the Amazon Best Sellers “Money Makers: Proven Ways to Increase Sales and Productivity in the World of Professional Recruiting” and “A Quest for Alex.”