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 145: Troubling Hearts

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It’s confusing sometimes with the work we do. We claim that none of this is so important that we are going to let it get to us but then we end up taking our work home with us figuratively (and many times literally) and either dumping our emotions out on those around us at home or holding it inside of us so tightly that our mood and actions are affected. This is when those around us feel like we are really taking it out on them. Either way, we allow our work to get so deep within us that we allow it to affect who we are. I remember once a work situation that was so troubling that I literally felt a physical weight on my shoulders to the point that I couldn’t even make it go away while I was out running (my usual stress release). That day I had to pull up and walk because I just couldn’t get rid of the stress and the troubling feeling. I suspect that I am not alone. It could be the hard decision to be made, changes that need to be executed, difficult conversations to be had or just a pile of work that needs to be done sooner than you think it can be completed. However it comes it adds up quickly and before long it can feel like it is overtaking you. Jesus talks about removing the troubles of our hearts and giving them over to Him. We see this in John 14:1; “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” It seems so trivial to bring our work issues and problems to God when there are so many other things that are bigger, farther reaching, and more about the hurts and pain of other people. But that is not what Jesus says. He doesn’t say bring everything to me other than your work problems. We can feel comfortable in that God wants us to bring glory to Him in how we work and if we are troubled then we are losing out on the promise that has been given to us if we will only trust in Him. It is when we are giving it all over to Him that we are in the spirit and closest to working our purpose. Give it a try today.

Reference: John 14:1 (New Living Testament)