Sometimes, we get our inspiration in the oddest of places. We see people accomplish what they seemed to think impossible and watching them we get inspired to strive to be the best that we can be ourselves. Such was the case with me as I was watching the finale of one of the seasons of the Great British Baking Show.

If you have never seen the show, I suggest you take a look if you have Netflix. All the seasons are out there and it is a rare look into compassion and competition without the backbiting and negativity that often accompanies our competition shows. The person that moved me the most in this season was Nadia, a Bangladesh woman who took a chance and risk despite her reservations and self doubt. To watch her grow and challenge herself throughout the ten episodes was something special to watch. What she said after the finale was something that touched my heart. She said, “I’m never going to say I can’t do it. I’m never going to say maybe. I’m never going to say I think I can. I can and I will”.

What is more powerful than that. As we go through life wanting to do and accomplish that which we desire, it is often the second guessing of ourselves that keeps from that which we want most. Because we don’t challenge what we perceive as our limitations, we assume that we are not capable or worthy, when in reality we can do far more than we could ever imagine if we only believe. When we are willing to take the risk, the possibilities are endless. Each failure becomes a stepping stone to success, if only we find the will to persevere and carry on. As each step leads us to the next, we suddenly find ourselves having accomplished that which we never thought possible.

There have been many ups and downs in my life that led to where I am today. I bombed out of my first year of college not knowing what I was going to do next. I left the Air Force after four years not having any idea where my life was taking me. I held different jobs that never seemed to gel. Finally, one day I started believing in myself and stopped questioning my limitations and focused on my possibilities. Taking a chance on me led to a Bachelors, MBA, 30+ year career in the pharmaceutical and healthcare network industry and to become the head of a not for profit that is doing amazing things in the senior community.

Converting I don’t think I can into I think I can is no easy task. It takes hard work, self reflection, dedication and the will to see through the mire even where there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It is also not a one and done. It is a life long effort that when executed provides you with a life that is fulfilling and wonderful.

So, on this day, I thank Nadia from that little baking show from across the pond. I thank her for reminding me to reflect, remember and celebrate the fact that hard work and believing in yourself pays off. We all have the tools that we need within ourselves to succeed if we only believe that we can. Well done Nadia!

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

Ron

Mornings with Ron is now available as a podcast on iHeart Radio, anchor.fm, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify and most podcast sites.

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We are pleased to announce that our Mornings with Ron podcast is now available on iHeart Radio. Five messages weekly to provoke thought, inspire the heart and feed the soul. You can access it via this link: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-mornings-with-ron-31128326/

As we go through life, we often put unnecessary pressures on ourselves. We have to be the best, have the most, be liked more than others and strive for perfection. We create this ideal person in our minds that we should be and rarely do we ever achieve 100% success in that endeavor. No matter how hard we try, or how hard we work, we fail to live up to our own expectations and at the end of the day feel like we have let ourselves down.

What if we were to eliminate some of that pressure and simply look at ourselves and realize that we are already great? By the mere fact that we have made it to the point that we have in our lives, we have already overcome obstacles and made achievements that have made us the person that we are. Once we validate that and realize that our only goal should be to become a better version of who we already are, it is only then life becomes less of a burden and more of a challenge that can be enjoyed.

We are always quick to give others credit for what they have done and accomplished, but rarely do we take the time to give ourselves the same validation. We see our successes and achievements as simply doing what we were supposed to do, even if the thing that we accomplished may have been something extraordinary.

If you look back over your life, I bet that you can find countless instances where things that you have done may have seemed ordinary, yet they had a profound impact on another person in ways that you could have never imagined. By the same token, the things that you have done for yourself have propelled you to become an even better version of the person that you already were. That in itself is worth celebrating.

We have to take life one day at a time, ensure that we don’t bite off more than we can chew and celebrate ourselves when we have successes that pave the way for that next chapter in our life path. When we realize that all we need to do is strive to be a better version of the person that we already are and do that one step at a time, then is when we live a life that is satisfying and fulfilling.

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, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and most podcast sites.

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We all have a past. Just in the few seconds that you have been reading this post a past has already been created for you. There is no escaping it as we move forward through life. Along life’s journey there are going to be situations and events that we will encounter that will, in totality, become what we will refer to as out past. It is how we use those moments as life lessons that will ultimately prepare us for what is to come tomorrow.

If we use our experiences as learning tools, then it is rare that we will repeat the same mistake twice. It is those experiences that teach us the lessons that we need to navigate our future. If we truly use the lessons as a guide, then we are in the best position to ensure that we are ready for what is yet to come.

Some of us have had led mundane lives, some exciting ones and some have had experiences that are down right awful. It is how we have maneuvered through those times that determined how much we had prepared ourselves for what was to come. If we have done it wisely, then we are truly ready for our future and what ever it may throw our way.

It always surprises me when I see people making the same mistakes over and over as if the previous mistake ever happened. It surprises me even more when I find myself doing the very same thing. Yet, if we took a hard look at our own lives, I bet that each and every one of us can find one point or another where we can say, “geez, I thought I learned my lesson”. What that means is that we never truly learned the lesson the first time and therefore are not ready for what the future may bring.

Every day is a preparation for our future. We are going to make mistakes, ignore lessons that we should be learning and find ourselves dealing with things that we would rather not deal with. Yet, used wisely, those instances build the strength and character that we need to get us through another day. They aren’t reasons to beat ourselves up, they are reasons to stop, take breath, adjust and tackle the next phase of our life that is yet to come.

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

Ron

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

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We only get one chance at life. There are no do overs and no second opportunities to relive that which has already passed. Putting off those things that we desire to be a part of life, or a life accomplishment until tomorrow, comes with the risk that we may never see it to reality, simply because tomorrow is never guaranteed. All those things that we wanted to be a part of life that we never seem to find time for are at constant risk for never being realized.

One of the major contributing factors to not living your life’s ambitions is living your life for someone else. Doing everything in our power to ensure that others are satisfied and fulfilled, without focusing on our own ambitions, often leaves us with a life that is unfulfilled and at its worst meaningless. We reach the end of our days forgoing our own dreams and ambitions to ensure that others reach theirs and the person that ultimately pays the price for that is us.

There is room in life to be a supporter of others and focus on our own desires at the same time. It is a balancing act, but one that is necessary to ensure what we want isn’t left in the dust when we reach that time in our life where some of what we wanted to do can no longer be accomplished. There is some satisfaction in knowing that you have helped others live their dreams. However, that satisfaction is greatly diminished when it has been accomplished by giving up our own.

We can continue to put off our own life ambitions until tomorrow, but we do it at the risk that tomorrow may never come. Every time that sun comes up in the morning, it does so by bringing a new opportunity for us to make the day ours and focus on those things that nourish our soul. There is no question that helping others is a part of that nourishment, but there has to be points within that day where you make the moves necessary to address your own life wishes as well. It is when helping others while taking care of yourself is in balance that life is at its most meaningful.

If you have surrounded yourself with those that sap your energy and power to the point that you have nothing left to drive towards your own ambitions, then it is time for a little garden pruning. Replace them with those that support your goals as equally as you support theirs and understand that your life ambitions are as important as those that they want to accomplish. It is only then that life can be in harmony and balance so that both of you can accomplish that which you truly desire of our own lives.

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

Ron

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A new episode of our podcast Mornings With Ron is now available. Part three in our series “Taking Care of Others”. You can listen at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or most podcast sites.

Life is a series of paths, twists and turns that are sometimes expected, yet often surprise us. Expecting our life to lay out a plan for us without any effort is definitely an exercise in futility. Sitting back and expecting things to happen or life to dole out that which we desire without a plan, is the best way to set ourselves up for major disappointment. If we don’t take the time to at least plan a simple roadmap for where we want to go, then we are left to the whims of whatever life is going to bring our way and that often involves things that we may not necessarily want.

There are people that plan out every single moment of every day of their life. While that may work for them, I believe that causes them to miss many of life’s amazing spontaneous moments that can come our way. On the other end of the spectrum, those who have no plan at all are often left with having to deal with anything that life decides to throw at them. This causes them to have to be reactive vs. proactive and often without the tools that they need to get them through what may be happening at that particular moment.

It is in those moments that we feel stuck in life that we look back and wish we had some type of plan. That doesn’t mean that plans can’t be modified. Changing course is a natural part of life and it rarely goes exactly according to whatever plan we have laid out. Those are the moments that make us stronger and allow us to make the changes necessary to get on a path that may be more meaningful for us. Having no plan at all and living life according to what it often throws at us, often leads to dissatisfaction and situations that only seem to compound to make our lives more difficult and less meaningful.

No matter what age we are in life, there is always time for a plan. Sometimes it is easier to plan for stages in life rather than tackle life plans as a whole. Map it out five or ten years at a time and then allow yourself the flexibility to make alterations and corrections that keep you on the path to your ultimate goal. That keeps you from being overwhelmed and allows you to enjoy your successful moments along the way. Even a simple plan gives us guidance on where we are headed and gives us the opportunity to make a move towards that which we desire.

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

Ron

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We all like our alone time in certain doses. It is often that quiet time that we use to rejuvenate and nourish our souls to deal with the rest of the world. However, when that alone time increases to become a major part of our lives, it truly does become a power that is difficult to handle. Being around people is part of what contributes to the fabric of our life and knowing that we are loved and cared about is what helps validate the very reason that we are here.

One of the main reasons I started the Bring Smiles to Seniors program was because of what I experienced when I visited my grandmother in her nursing home before she passed. The sad and lonely faces every time I was in her community touched me in a way that would change my life forever. There were people who no longer had family visiting, those who had just been left to live out the remainder of their lives and others who had simply outlived all those who were part of their family core. No one asked for this, it was simply the point their lives had come to.

Their loneliness was on full display and it made me think about all the times that I felt alone. Even those of us who have family and friends that we can rely on have our moments where, despite all that support, we feel alone and abandoned. Those moments where we are dealing with something or going through something that makes us feel like we are the only ones in the world. It is part of being human and a very natural emotion. Think about what happens when we enjoy all that support, get used to it, and eventually wind up in an unfamiliar place without those around that we loved and cared for. Those are the very people that we try and touch every single day through our program.

Those who are strong and resolved and perfectly comfortable in their own skin when being alone, have a much easier time dealing with those times when no one is around. However, those that are dependent on others for stimulation and soul nourishing have a much harder time dealing with the isolation that loneliness brings. We all feel it at one time or another, but fortunately it is usually only a passing moment and then we get back to the reality of our lives. It is those that endure it day in and out that are the most vulnerable to the effects of loneliness.

The next time your are alone and feeling uncomfortable, think about those that are in the same situation, just multiplied. Make an effort and do something to make someone else’s life a little less lonely. In doing so you will address your own loneliness and both of you will have made your lives a little better for it.

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

Ron

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Our lives are given to us to design it as we see fit. We have the freedom to make it anything that we want it to be, have what we want to have and fill it with that which brings us joy. It comes in all shapes and forms and the requirement for quantity in our life is different for all people. If we are living a life that is true to our soul then that is when it brings us the most joy. If we live it comparing ourselves to what others have and what we don’t, then those very actions steal that joy that we often long for.

You know the old adage, “money can’t buy happiness”. Well, that not only applies to money, but material things as well. Many books have been written about lottery winners that end up destitute or even dead at the hand of someone that wants what they have. Many individuals in the corporate world have had more money than they can count and wind up in jail or broke because of the greed and need for more. Individuals who count on money and material possessions to be the soul joy in their life are usually those who wind up with either nothing or a fat bank account and no soul. Now, I am not saying this applies to every one with money and things, for those who are smart enough to balance having with giving and include some soul nurturing are the ones who find the true path to a balanced life.

In our lives there are many things to be thankful for, even if we have little in the way of material possessions. These include friendships, hobbies, family, loves and passions. When we include them to the degree of that which we are able financially and physically, they all infuse our lives with the joy that seek. When we spend all of our time comparing what we have with everyone else, without focusing on the blessings of our own life, we fail to experience the true joy of that which we have been given. Being thankful for what we have, even when it isn’t a lot, opens ourselves to allowing the universe to give us more, but usually not more than we can handle.

There was a time in my younger years in corporate America, where I spent a lot of time wishing I had all the things that others had. At work I always seemed to be one job behind all the people to got the bulk of stock options. Others cars were always two steps above mine. Their homes were far superior to what I lived in. It was only when I learned to be thankful for what I had and share that with those that were less fortunate that I learned my true joy. I carved the path that was right for me and realized that comparing only brought about heartache, while being satisfied with what I was given brought about harmony.

If you are feeling the need to keep up with everyone else, stop and take a long look at your life. See how spending so much time comparing is stealing your ability to appreciate the gifts that life has given you. When you focus on that and are able to give thanks for everything that you have been given, that is when you experience the true joy of life.

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 and on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify and most podcast sites.

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