Keynote speaker urges equine veterinarians to enjoy the ride

Do you remember why you wanted to be an equine veterinarian? Think back to the passion that started it all. Now, how long has it been since you've tapped into that feeling and let it guide your day? Steve Gilliland, a top-rated speaker and entertainer, will help you remember that life is about enjoying whatever journey you're on in his session called “Enjoy the Ride,” held at 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, at the AAEP Convention in Las Vegas.

Using side-splitting humor, Gilliland challenges everyone, from veterinarian to technician to receptionist, to never lose passion and never lose focus. “You have to refocus on what it is that you love about what you do,” he says. “We have reached a point in our society that we're so distracted with so many things that we forget what we're here to do in the first place. For example, if I focused on how much I have to travel for my job, I'd never speak again. Remind yourself what you love about your job, and you'll feel more ignited in your career.”

Gilliland, author of the bestselling Enjoy the Ride: How to Experience the True Joy of Life (Advantage Media Group, 2005), also encourages people to not let the little stuff take precedence. “We've managed to take the inconsequential and make it more important by making it immediate,” says Gilliland. “Various technological distractions determine where we place our focus. I want people to return to the root of their passion and let that guide them more than anything else. Because in the end, it's not about tomorrow, it's not about yesterday, it's about what we do today.”