Have you ever felt a physical reaction to removing something from your life?

Have you ever felt a physical reaction to removing something from your life?

Five years ago—during my final week as CMO of the Padres—we took a family trip to Disney World over Thanksgiving. Disney had just reopened after the shutdown, and it felt like the perfect chance to get away.

When you give months of notice, the transition is slow. You get pulled off projects… removed from threads… looped out of conversations. By the final week, you’re no longer needed—and for the first time in years, the machine isn’t relying on you.

At the park that day, I put my work phone in my wife’s bag and left it there.

No “just in case.”

No “quick checks.”

Just… gone.

And what happened next stunned me.

I felt the stress physically leave my body.

From age 22 to 42, I had been tethered to a company phone—24/7, year-round—always on call, always responsible, always expected to respond. And suddenly, for that one day, I wasn’t.

That feeling—of detaching from something heavy you didn’t even realize you were carrying—changed me.

So as we head into Thanksgiving, I’m taking another break. Not disappearing completely, but stepping back to be present with the people I love.

Enjoy the break.

Enjoy your people.

And if you can, put something down… even for a day.

Your body might thank you for it.

🦃❤️

#Leadership #WorkLifeBalance #Mindset #CareerGrowth #EntrepreneurLife #Thanksgiving #CUENTO