Happy holidays to you and yours! May you all experience a bit of holiday presence this year during this festive season.

Hey, what's up, everybody? This is Drew, and I want to welcome you back to "Learn How To See Better." It’s the only podcast out there that will improve your vision the longer you listen.

This holiday season, I decided to do something a bit different. I took a timeout—actually, a couple of days off, but in a different way. I titled this podcast episode "Holiday Presence" because I wanted to take a moment to be more present—present exactly where I’m at, present with the people I’m with, and present in the moment.

Sometimes, during the holiday season, there’s so much hustle and bustle. We all want to reconnect with loved ones, spend time together, catch up, and do all sorts of things that are good for the moment. However, one thing that we often forget is to cherish everyone. It’s great to have a moment of gratitude, appreciating the things we have in our lives and the peace of mind that comes from having a moment of silence.

I’d like to take a quick moment of silence to honor one of my dearly departed mentors, Jim Rohn. I never got to meet him in person, but I learned a lot from him and he served as inspiration for this journey and for sharing insights through "Learn How To See Better." Jim, if my memory serves me correctly, passed away about 15 years ago in December 2009.

Jim taught me a few relevant lessons that I want to share. Again, back to holiday presence—how present can you be in the moment, in time, and with the people you are with? Be fully there. So, let’s take a quick moment for Jim Rohn...

I appreciate you, buddy.

This holiday season, I wanted to pause. I took a couple of days off from technology—unplugged from my phone and computer—to spend time with the most important people in my world. There wasn’t anything I was missing.

Some might say, "Hey, if it’s Thanksgiving and you’re unplugging from tech, aren’t you going to miss out?" After all, it’s BFCM—Black Friday, Cyber Monday—the greatest deals are out there. On the flip side, from a business perspective, it’s a fantastic opportunity to spread the word, get your products out there, and make incredible offers for people to buy. I love all of that and I’m a big fan of it.

However, I started thinking about how each holiday season is a little different. I wanted to reflect on what else is going on in your world and how it all lines up for you to make the most of this holiday season.

In my case, I looked at the calendar and realized I have some upcoming travel. It’s my last trip of the year, business-related, and I’ll be gone for three to five days. As a family man, I recognize that this impacts my family. I won’t be traveling alone, but the point remains that when I leave home, I’m departing from my family.

One lesson Jim Rohn taught me that had a significant impact on my perception—and this was long before I had kids—was that when you take time away from your family for obligations, you must pay them back with interest. It’s not just about giving them a day back for a day away; it’s about recognizing that the quality moments you take from them are opportunities they’ll never get back.

You sometimes need to plan for this and think ahead. With my trip coming up next weekend, I wanted to make the most of this holiday weekend. Sure, there are things that could get done and people I want to help, but hold on a second—if not this moment, what moment?

As the year wraps up, there’s always a lot going on, and every year is different. Depending on what’s happening in your world, just like Jim Rohn said, you need to take those timeouts. Whether it’s at the end of the day, taking a few minutes to reflect on how your day went—who you saw, what you did—or at the end of the week, reviewing how the week went, it’s essential to take those moments.

If you haven’t been doing that, can you pause at least once at the end of the month, and force yourself to take that timeout? After taking a couple of days off from tech—which may sound taboo during the holidays—I realized that it was perfectly okay. Nothing went anywhere; it was all still there.

As we wrap up November 2024, the only interruption to this moment is to share a quick mic drop on the way out of the month. For some of you out there, take a moment for yourself. Take a day, disconnect, and spend it with loved ones. Make that time purposeful for many reasons.

It felt good to disconnect and take time to reflect. It’s a reminder that we’re still assembling the pieces of the lessons taught by those who came before us. Fifteen years after Jim Rohn’s passing, I first got exposed to his teachings, probably in his last year of life. I picked up those golden nuggets and learned how they can still serve me today—like paying my family back with interest and making sure I carve out time before heading out for a little bit.

Recognizing that taking a technical timeout does not mean you’re missing out. Sometimes, the answers we seek might be right in front of us, even in the palm of our hands.

Life is fast-paced, especially in the fourth quarter. It’s time to finish strong, but don’t forget to take a pit stop. Remember the movie "Cars"? We know what happens to Lightning McQueen if he refuses to pit stop. Even if you’re leading the pack, it’s wise to pull over now and then for your own wellness.

After a couple of days disconnected, I feel good. It’s important to capture these thoughts and realize that our management of time, mind, and decisions is a function of the accumulated lessons we’ve learned along our journey.

If you’re picking up this lesson, I hope you can connect it to something in your world. Take a moment to reflect on what’s going on, how it’s going, and reconnect with the things that are most important to you. These connections fuel you as you pursue ambitious goals.

As we enjoy this holiday season, don’t be stressed. It’s a time for everyone to come together. If you need a little time alone, take a quick walk or a timeout. Recharging is essential. Most importantly, ensure you carve out moments for your mental peace and wellness.

We all owe it to ourselves to take that timeout. If you hear this message, take that quick pause. Everything will be okay.

As you wrap up the year, I wish you and yours a very happy holiday season. May you get the most out of your relationships and the quality time spent with loved ones. Use that time to recharge as you look toward the new year and a bright outlook ahead.

Remember, a positive outlook leads to a positive outcome. Until next time, folks, thank you for listening to "Learn How To See Better." It’s the only podcast that improves your vision the longer you listen. This is your host, Drew Davis, signing off. Catch you on the next one!