Often I think about how lucky I am to be a part of a family that has always given back. I grew up as a kid spending time with my grandmother visiting the sick and the elderly all over town. My mom and dad were known as the “go to” people whenever anyone needed anything. It was only natural that my brother and I would possess those genes that would keep us giving back as we maneuvered through our own lives.

When you learn a compassion for people early on in life it doesn’t leave you. When you are taught what it is like not to be selfish and think about your fellow person before yourself early on, it puts taking care of others in your DNA and doing so seems just the natural thing to do.

When I started Bring Smiles to Seniors, visiting my grandmother in her nursing home had a tremendous impact on me. Seeing so many without visitors, cards, flowers and other items touched my soul in a way that I could have never imagined. The need to do something about it was a must do, not a wish that I could. It is that drive and passion that I learned from my family that has gotten us to the point that we have delivered over 100,000 cards since March of 2016. That same passion and drive lives within my brother.

My brother has always loved painting. Now, later in life, he has channeled that passion into starting a program that works with military veterans. He has lined up painting companies and other support to provide military veterans with the supplies necessary to help instill a passion in them for painting. You can read more about his program at facebook.com/pleinairforceveteranssquad.

As part of my brothers painting he does podcasts on painting. This has inspired me to do the same for this program, which I have implemented to bring these postings on morningswithron.com to life. We each have goals to enlist even more people to be involved in what we do and having the support of each other is an amazing thing.

We consider ourselves lucky to have parents and grandparents that put us on the path we are on at an early age. There is something special about helping others and in both cases we help people smile. How much better can it get than that? We are thankful for every person that is on these journeys with us and we can’t wait to see what we can all continue to do together. The “power of we” is alive and well.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles.

Mornings with Ron is available at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple or Google Podcast, Spotify and most podcast sites.

We have enjoyed amazing success in the Bring Smiles to Seniors program. I always say that this was a little dream that turned into a very big reality. Yet, despite that success, I set a goal this year that had me shaking in my boots. I often talk about the importance of setting goals to stretch your perceived limits. However, even I initially questioned if I may have pushed our program a little too far beyond our capabilities.

At the beginning of each year of the program, I set a goal for the amount of cards that we are going to deliver for the year. Many things have to come together for us to achieve that goal, all variables that are out of our control. First, we need to receive enough cards from donors and ensure that those that come blank inside get decorated by our individual decorators, schools, civic groups and corporate partners. Second, we have to receive enough donations to be able to mail the card packages to the senior communities across all fifty states. Finally, our volunteers have to find the time and energy, in addition to their regular jobs or life responsibilities, to process the massive amount of cards that go out. If all three of those things are in synch, then the goal becomes possible.

The first year of operation we delivered 7,719 cards in the nine months that the program was in existence. In our first year that was tough because we had to collect donations and buy most of our cards. Despite that I set the goal for 2017 at 10,000. That year we wound up delivering 18,810 cards. I really felt like setting the goal at 20,000 for 2018 was an even greater stretch, but by mid year I knew something magical was happening. At year’s end we had delivered 40,515 cards to senior communities in all 50 states. Not only did we deliver that massive amount, but every single card that we delivered was donated. Then came 2019.

As I sat down to set the goal for 2019 at the end of 2018 I was at a crossroads. Getting to 40,515 in 2018 took an amazing amount of work on everyone’s part. We had sent all the cards we had received and just how much further could I push the limits? I eventually made the decision to go all in and set the goal at 50,000. There were those that questioned what I had done, including myself, but with my grandmother’s spirit driving the program and my belief in the “power of we”, I set the course. We are now at the end of July and we have delivered over 37,000 cards. That’s right, we are near what we delivered in all of 2018 and there seems to be no stopping us.

It is true that the only limits to what we are able to accomplish are those that we place on ourselves. When we believe and go all in we can do massive things. Casting the doubts aside and harnessing the power of what is inside you, as well as the “power of we,” truly can change the world. We do it, “one card, one smile at a time”.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles today.

Mornings with Ron is available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcast, Spotify and most podcast sites.

There are many people that are at a certain place in their own life that they feel so exhausted in dealing with their situation that they just have nothing to give emotionally. Things are so dire for them that they feel that there is nothing within them that gives them the strength to make a difference in someone else’s life as they deal with their own. What we often fail to realize is that is is the very act of caring that injects new meaning into our lives as well.

People often associate giving with money, when in reality there are so many other ways to make a difference in someone’s life. Throughout my life I has always tried to share my experiences and what I have learned with others to give them pieces of information that they can in turn to enrich their own lives. I have also found that at my most dire moments, finding the strength to simply care about someone else, rather than my own issues, has just been the ticket I needed to elevate me out of the doldrums in which I found myself.

We don’t have to be rich to give. People in the “From the Heart” program that we partner with show that they care by sending cards to individuals in need. Just one card makes a difference in the life of the person receiving it. People dealing with some of their worst situations are suddenly made to feel better by receiving that little piece of paper. The child in the classroom participating in our program takes time out of their busy study schedule to write one card that ultimately winds up in a seniors hand to remind them that they are cared for, loved and not forgotten. The person that let someone go in front of them in the grocery line made that person feel good for the rest of the day. The list goes on.

Many would be surprised at how little it takes to make a difference in someone’s life. In fact, we often do it without even realizing it. Something we said, did or gave was just what that person needed at that moment. When we do realize it is is something special as the feeling of emotion that goes with the act becomes reciprocal. When we do it without realizing it, karma has a way of reminding us of what we did and that can be a beautiful thing.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles today.

Ron

Mornings with Ron is available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple or Google Podcast, Spotify or most podcast sites.

How many times in our lives have we really wanted to say something to someone and we just never get the chance or never take the opportunity? Our intentions are good, but we forget, things get in the way or circumstances happen that prevent us from being able to deliver that message that we so desired. That makes it all the more important to say what we feel, when we feel it and before it is too late.

When we love someone, they need to be reminded and we need to tell them. There is never any guarantee that we are going to get a second chance to say how we feel. An accident, unexpected disease or health condition that renders our loved one unable to communicate, may create the inability for our expression to take place.

I have written before about my Aunt Gail who I was very close to growing up. We did everything together because she was so close to me in age. There was a period of time that we became estranged and lost contact. However, one of our family members worked to try and bring us back together and I just was not ready. Just before the time was right and I thought I was at the point for a reconciliation, I received a phone call that my aunt had passed from an unexpected complication from surgery. In the blink of an eye my ability to say all the things I wanted to say that would hopefully repair the relationship was gone and it was not something that I would ever get back.

My friend Linda and I were talking about this very subject the other day. We discussed the need to say to people what you want them to know each and every day when the opportunity presents itself. Tell people you love them, how much they mean to you and how important a part of your life they are. Don’t harbor negative thoughts and feelings that need to be released, when you have an opportunity to resolve them while the other person is still around. Openly communicate how you feel so that the other person never has to guess.

My mom and I never hang up the phone without saying I love you to each other. We never have to guess how the other is feeling as we convey it as often as we can. The same goes for my spouse and I try to do the same thing with my friendships. I did the same with my grandmother until she developed dementia. I continued to tell her that I loved her, even though I was unable to receive the confirmation from her that she heard it.

If you have something that you need to say to someone, do it at your next opportunity. Do not rob yourself or them of the chance to show what you mean to each other. If we wait, there will become a moment when it is too late and that is the very thing we want to avoid.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles today.

Ron

Mornings with Ron is available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple or Google Podcast, Spotify or most podcast sites.

Sometimes there are those people who come into your life that, from the instant you meet them, you know that there was always a place for them. Without you even knowing it, you had been waiting on them to fill that place and suddenly they are there and it feels right. Such is the case for me with my friend Rita Louise (no that is not her real name).

Growing up there were only two children in my family, my brother and myself. As much as I love my brother, I always wondered what it would be like to have a sister, as I saw the interaction that others had with their female siblings. Granted, some of those interactions were not so great, but there were those that grew into beautiful friendships, especially in brother – sister relationships, that added just that extra special touch to their lives.

An amazing thing happens when someone comes along to fill that void. That person comes into your life that gives you the opportunity to experience what having a sister is like. You can say anything to them, joke with them, cry with them and support them, as if they were always meant to be part of the fabric of your life. You can call each other out on their mistakes and build and support each other up with the positive. Even without sharing the genetic make up, you know in your heart that you are family because you were meant to be.

In my down times, my sister friend has a way to pick me up and make me laugh. We inject a rivalry into the relationship to see who can make each other laugh the hardest that almost has a way of countering the aging process and make us feel like kids again. While I am sure at times it is annoying to those around us, it is always done with love and kindness of the heart that is only possible when you have that true bond of love and friendship that permits you to be exactly who you are and nothing else.

One of the many things that I enjoy in our friendship is making up names for her. I have come up with so many names, that at this point I suspect that she is going through an identity crisis. While she has done the same to me, through it I have learned that my quick wit and ability to retort quickly can be matched and that makes me smile.

Today, my thanks goes out to my friend RL for giving me that sister relationship. For showing me what it is like to have that brother sister bond that has all the quirky, funny, happy and yes even annoying qualities that a true brother sister relationship has. I hope that if you were a person that did not have a brother or sister as a child, that you too find that relationship in your later years that gives you the experience that you desire. Here’s to you Rita Louise! I love ya.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles.

Ron

Mornings with Ron is available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple or Google Podcast, Spotify or most podcast sites.

We were having dinner with friends last night and we were talking about how our lives have changed since we have moved from our 20’s into our 50’s. The things around us, people still in our lives and even the way we live. We were especially talking about people who used to be in our lives regularly who have for one reason or another faded away, often not through anything that happened, but simply as a natural course of the friendship. Tim said something that resonated with me that I found to be very profound. He said, “the older we get, the clearer our vision becomes”.

When we are younger and trying to find our way in the world, it is easier to be a part of the masses. We are growing, learning and trying out friendships in bulk to find those that click and those that will become peripheral acquaintances. Through the process of finding out who we are and what we are all about, we are open to a larger number of “friendships” as we tend to have more time, energy and desire to be a part of it all. As we age, that seems to change.

By the time we have gotten into our fifties we have started going through the “weeding the garden” phase and that core group of people who become a major part of our life starts to lessen in numbers. Some friendships naturally fade away. Some may have seemed to have been a major part of your life, but circumstances happen, either manufactured or by chance, that prove that the foundation for a lasting friendship just was not there for one reason or another. Finally, as the numbers start to wain, you are left with the core that are likely to be those that you continue to travel with for the rest of your life.

As I told my friends last night, I do not believe for one second that we become a group of people that travel life together by chance. The reason that we are together is because we were meant to be. Twenty, thirty, forty and fifty year friendships don’t just happen. They result in the work and dedication that each side puts into the friendship to nourish it, make it healthy and keep it going. Time may separate you, but you always find your way back together because that is what was meant to happen.

Those friends who remain in that life circle are not just friends, they become an intimate part of your family. We celebrate the highs and lows of each other’s lives and we do it willingly, not because we have to. When we have friendships like that we have a responsibility to cherish and nurture them. They are one of the true blessings of life.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles today.

Ron

Mornings with Ron is available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple or Google Podcast, Spotify or most podcast sites.

Why is it so hard to look out for and take care of ourselves before we do anything else? We go out of our way to take care of the problems of the world, make everyone else happy and see that other’s needs are taken care of. In doing those things we seem to find unlimited time and internal resources. Yet, when it comes to taking care of our own body and souls there just does not seem to be the time.

There is within all of us this innate desire to ensure others well being. We don’t like to see people unhappy, hurting or struggling in their own lives. We often feel if we can make them feel better then ultimately that will take care of our own needs or at least distract us from them. That may work for a certain amount of time, but in the long run the neglect of our own needs starts a chain of events that affects us not only mentally, but physically as well.

In one of my previous posts I mentioned that I recently started doing some meditation with the Headspace app. I find it very hard to meditate and just stop for a few minutes. When I do I feel like there is something else that I should be doing and am easily distracted. However, I made up my mind that I was going to start with the five or ten minutes as they suggest and devote only those minutes to me. It was amazing to find out what just ten minutes did for my psyche and soul. Giving those minutes to no one but myself did not feel selfish, it felt rejuvenating. It created a little bit of space in my head that I was able to access throughout the day when I needed it most.

We all know that life is often difficult and has only gotten more complex and complicated over the years. Advances in technology, travel, and the “need it now” attitude we seemed to have developed have only added to the previous stresses that life offered. The 24 hour news cycle, state of our world, not to mention the constant barrage of not so great news, has created a level of anxiety that is unprecedented. That has only made it more important that we seek sources of refreshment for our bodies and souls.

If you are experiencing this struggle, know that you are not in the minority. In fact, I would venture to say that you are in the majority. Find a balance in caring for others and yourself. Know that you can not solve all the issues of others or the world. You can only offer the level of support and guidance for which you are capable. Just ensure that when you are offering that support you are also making that space needed to take care of you.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles.

Ron

Mornings with Ron is available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple or Google Podcast, Spotify or most podcast sites.

“I sing the body electric. I celebrate the me yet to come. I toast to my own reunion. Till I become one with the sun”. If you know those words, they come from the Movie Fame and one of the closing numbers of the movie. If you haven’t seen the movie, try and find the song on YouTube. There is something electric about it that seems to fill your soul with hope and joy.

One of the things that I love most about mornings is I get to start my life over every single day. The trials and tribulations of the past are behind me and I feel like I can get up with a renewed energy to face what ever may be coming my way on that particular day. Old and new hopes and dreams are still right there in front of me waiting to happen and all the work I do in those next day’s hours drive me to achieve them. Each and every morning is an opportunity to celebrate the “me yet to come”.

It is very difficult to avoid having the past seep into your plans for the future and hinder the successful realization of the dreams that you desire. Past failures plant seeds of doubt that tend to raise their ugly heads just at the time when you feel like you have gotten to the point where you can move on. Recognizing those times at the moment they come into our minds and then letting them go is incredibly important to clearing the way for our future ambitions.

Do you ever have those days where you wake up after a good nights sleep and feel like you can conquer the world? You have the motivation to aspire to greatness in a life that has already been good to you, because you know that you can do more. It is those moments that we need to harness to get us through the times when the motivation isn’t so great. Not every day provides the same level of exuberance that particular day might offer, but every day does provide a clean slate for us to make it anything that we want it to be.

Sometimes, I do feel like I want to conquer the world. I want to make life better for every senior that we can touch through the Bring Smiles to Seniors program. I want every senior to never be lonely again and to know that they are loved, not forgotten and remind them that they still matter. I know we can only do it one smile at a time, but we can do it and we do. Enriching my life enriches theirs and so many others in return.

When you read this post this morning, take a moment to “celebrate the me yet to come”. Focus on why you are here, what your purpose is and no matter what life has sent your way that you are stronger than anything life can throw at you. Toast you for the person you are and the person you will become. We all deserve the greatest life that we can possibly have.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason YOU and someone else smiles.

Ron

Mornings with Ron is now available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or in iHeartRadio, Apple or Google Podcast, Spotify and most podcast sites.

By now, most of you know of my involvement in the Bring Smiles to Seniors program. In a country so great with riches and opportunity, we still have to be reminded of the importance of taking care of our seniors, those that paved the way for us so that we could have a better future. From the people of the Mayflower and the founders of our great country to civil rights icons like Rosa Parks, all became seniors that worked to make our lives just a little bit better. Yet, somewhere along the way we have become a society so consumed with youth and manufactured beauty that we have lost our respect for the gracefulness of the aging process and the need to take care of those that have reached those years.

In my travels though senior communities over the years I have seen those that were lucky enough to have families continue to be involved in their lives. At the same time, I have have seen plenty of people that were secluded to those four walls and did not receive visitors, cards, birthday or anniversary reminders and even those that have managed to outlive their entire families. Individuals that need love and compassion most were some of the ones that received it the least. It is as if once we reach a certain age we are assumed to be on the road to the end anyway, so spending money, resources and time on those individuals is considered a waste. An unfortunate situation.

In many other cultures, seniors are not only remembered, they are revered. When I lived in Turkey the senior was the most important part of the household. In any room, they always sat nearest the door to the outside in case there was an emergency so that they were the first to safety. In some places in Europe some nursing homes are created like cities so that seniors can be a part of what is considered a normal environment. In Asia seniors are almost considered deities that are revered and celebrated. Unfortunately, while there are pockets of our society that do great things for seniors, getting funding and resources to make their lives better in their golden years is a fight and a struggle, even when many spend the last of their means to ensure that their families have a brighter future.

We all have the power to make a difference. Each and every one of us not only has a senior as a part of our lives at some moment along life’s path, we will also eventually become one of those seniors. Unfortunately, by that point our power to make change diminishes while the power of the next generation focuses on taking care of themselves. Use the power you have today to make the difference in a senior’s life. Do one thing special for someone in your family, a senior you are associated with or one you don’t even know. If we do that one by one it will grow exponentially and once again those generations that deserve our attention will get that reminder that they are loved.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles.

Ron

Mornings with Ron is now available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcast, Spotify and most podcast sites.

The other day I was on a flight high above the clouds looking out over the horizon. At 34,000 feet it is a very different world. There is a calmness to the blue of the sky, the white of the clouds and the dark patches of the earth down below. It seems a surreal world between the craziness of what is going on down on earth and the tranquilness that is far above us. That got me to thinking.

In a world with so much beauty, why is it that we as societies find the need to muck it all up with wars, hatred, racism and conflicts? All around us are amazing things to be discovered, wonderful cultures to be experienced and passions to be realized. Yet, the greed and the need for power often circumvent the opportunity to enjoy all that the world has to offer at its finest. If the power of all the combined conflict in the world were harnessed for good, imagine the amazing things that could happen.

It seems that rather than being able to come together to create the common good, we are separated by multi party systems, classes, castes and socioeconomic levels. All of this despite the fact that we all started life in the exact same way and will finish life in equally the same way. The twists and turns that happen between those two moments are what creates the harmony and chaos that make up our world.

Unless we are completely insane, I have to believe that most of us dream of a utopia where we all live in harmony and peace. A place where individuals aren’t out for just themselves, but for the common good of their fellow person. A world of giving rather than taking and a world where compassion and understanding overpower greed and avarice.

I would like to believe that the majority of people long for that tranquil world that I saw outside that window. If we can’t live it, we have to find a way to create it by surrounding ourselves with that which is good, learning to block out the negative and giving the positive a chance to come through is a beginning. From there we can build life into what we want, if we only believe.

Have a great day and remember to be the reasons someone smiles.

Ron

Mornings with Ron is now available as a podcast at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on iHeartRadio, Apple or Google Podcast, Spotify or most podcast sites.