Each morning as I check turkeys, I am amazed at how much they have grown and how their looks change from one day to the next. The funny thing about turkeys is the older they get the prouder they are of their looks. As their plush, yellow fluff is replaced with fine, white feathers, the birds make it their business to hold their heads higher when they pass by. When their fully white plumage is in place, turkeys seem to spend all their time admiring and admonishing their tails and wings, and flaring their feathers as they strut around. Pride in their maturity seems to be the opposite of what we humans do. We lose confidence in our appearance as we age. This loss of self-esteem is tough emotionally and isn’t very attractive. So while turkeys are definitely not the most beautiful of creatures, I think we need to be more like them.

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As we begin this new 365-day trip around the sun, many of us are focusing attention on our appearance. The most common New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight or exercise more. So while, many of us are counting our calories and watching our weight, I want to encourage you to fluff your good stuff. Don’t let love handles or belly rolls be what you purposefully draw attention to. Single out your best qualities and draw attention to what makes you feel good about yourself.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of a personal quality or physical trait. There is tremendous benefit to knowing what you are good at or what makes you beautiful and unique. So, if you’ve got it, fluff it!

Pride in maturity is the one aspect that I encourage you to be more like turkeys. Show off what you have done well or the qualities that are special to you. The older you get the more opportunity you have to be someone with stuff to fluff. You are talented, handsome, experienced, and have lots to offer. Don’t worry if you have a few less feathers in places or your stuff is “fluffier” than others. Be proud of what you have and who you are, and that will give you real reason to strut your way into this new year.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. I’m totally fluffing out about my upcoming Blogger’s BeLOnG sessions with Missouri River Regional Library (www.mrrl.org) and my selection be a presenter at the statewide COTA Conference sponsored by Missouri Department of Higher on February 18th. Yay me!!!