Author Archives: Rusty Rueff

About Rusty Rueff

Rusty Rueff, author of purposed worKING. Rusty Rueff is the former Chairman Emeritus of The GRAMMY Foundation in Los Angeles. He most recently completed the successful 16 month leadership role as Coordinating National Co-Chair for Technology for Obama (T4O) for the reelection of President Obama and ten-years of Board service and President of the Board of Trustees of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Corporately, most recently Rueff was the Chief Executive Officer at SNOCAP, Inc. until the acquisition of the company by imeem, Inc. in April 2008. Before joining SNOCAP in 2005, he was Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Electronic Arts (EA) from 1998 until 2005. He was also with the PepsiCo companies for more than ten years, with the Pratt & Whitney division of United Technologies for two years, and in commercial radio as an on-air personality for six years. Rusty holds an M.S. in counseling and a B.A. in radio and television from Purdue University. In 2003 he was named a distinguished Purdue alumnus, and he and his wife, Patti, are the named benefactors of Purdue’s Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts. He is a corporate director of Glassdoor.com and runcoach. He is the co-founder and Executive Committee Member of T4A.org, serves on the Founding Circle of The Centrist Project and a founding Board Member of The GRAMMY Music Education Coalition. He is also the co-author of the book Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business. Rusty and his wife, Patti, reside in Hillsborough, CA and Charlestown, R.I.

day 1415: Learnings From The Camino (part 3): Never Refusing

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“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” 

Yesterday I wrote of how the Camino de Santiago has a way of providing what you need whether that be food, drink, shelter, conversation, etc.. But, for that to happen one must be open to receive what is being offered. A Pilgrim on the Camino is to never refuse what is being offered to them.  If someone offers a drink, take it.  If someone offers food, you receive it openly. If someone offers conversation, then you go with it.  If someone just wants to walk next to you in silence, then you accept that also.  Many stories were heard of Pilgrims as they were walking having others offer them items from their backpacks only for the receiving Pilgrim to learn that later without this item they would have not been able to proceed.  The same happens with advice and guidance as those who were veterans will take the novices under their wing to be sure that they help them ensure that the Camino is the best it can be for all.  It seems simple, but it is so hard because most of us don’t want to open ourselves up to others for advice or guidance.  We also don’t want to take the risk of having others give us something because of our fear of having to return that gift, or time, back to them.  So, we put our head down and passively refuse.  I learned this about myself on the Camino.  By the time I finished, I looked back at the opportunities that I had to hear from someone else or to walk with them for a bit, and when I didn’t, as missed opportunities.  The lesson: we working Pilgrims walking through our careers and lives need to stop refusing all that can be ours for help and support and be sure that no opportunity is missed.

The same can be said with our walk with our Lord.  All that we need and all that we could ever want is there for us if we will only not refuse what He has to offer to us.  When we seek Him in our hearts and then open our hearts to Him, our walk becomes closer and better and better.  We don’t know what today or tomorrow will bring but to know that when we don’t refuse what God so generously is always offering to us will have us always already for what life throws at us; that is an assurance that is so awesome!

Reference: Matthew 6:33 (New Living Translation)

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