The first year in the Bring Smiles to Seniors journey was one of the most difficult that I ever encountered. Here I was with a full time job, dealing with my grandmother’s dementia and trying to find more hours in the day that just were not there. We had all the infrastructure, but were at a point where we had no money, no cards and no idea how we were going to keep it all going. I had spent thousands of dollars of my own money setting up the corporation, getting all the materials, Facebook advertising, buying cards and supplies and word still wasn’t getting out. I was at a point where I decided it might be time to throw in the towel and realize that I had bitten off more than I could chew.

I knew we had tapped into a need. I saw it on the faces of seniors when we delivered the initial cards that we had. I also saw it on the faces of the children that initially decorated the cards for us. Slowly people started to respond, but it was not happening fast enough for me and I was beginning to wonder if the stress was outweighing the benefit. It was then that my grandmother’s mantra, “never start a job unless you are going to finish it and never do it unless you do it right” kicked in and started to work it’s magic.

Our mission to bring smiles to seniors started to spread. More advertising, word of mouth, invitations to speak at civic groups, the local news and perseverance eventually paid off. Just when the temptation to quit was at its highest, success begin to happen and it snowballed like wildfire. When we reached the end of the first year we had delivered 7,719 cards in nine months. I initially looked at that number and asked myself if people were going to think that was too small. Then I thought of every one of the seniors behind each of those cards and realized that I was being ridiculous.

The second year we still had to buy some cards, but the network of card angels across the country was starting to grow and by word of mouth our message was spreading. When the cupboards were bare, magically boxes of cards would appear. The card angel list grew to the point that we were able to deliver 18,810 cards the second year. By the third year we didn’t have to buy a single card, were able to deliver to senior communities in all 50 states and delivered 40,515 cards.

Just several weeks ago I sent out our last batch of cards to be decorated and all of the card racks were bare. I literally had no cards left. That day I went to the post office and picked up 13 packages of cards that had come from our card angels across the country. That is the power behind what we do together and the power of we. Every time the bank account gets low and I wonder how we are going to continue to send our packages out to the senior communities, a check arrives from somewhere, a tournament picks us as their charity or an unknown benefactor gives us the ability to send one more, and one more.

This year we have encountered the most amazing people who believe in what we do. We are in April and have delivered 20,000 cards already and delivered to almost all 50 states. If that isn’t the definition of success, then I am not sure what it is. Your creativity, compassion, dedication and love have not only supported a program, it has created a moment where are are literally making the difference in the lives of thousands of seniors all over the country. Being a part of something this special is magical and I thank each and every one of you for going on this journey with us. That my friends is the power of we!

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

Ron

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

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Part thee in the podcast series ‘Taking Care of Ourselves” is now available at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify and most podcast sites.

Over the course of my career spanning several decades now, I have been in a myriad of leadership classes and seminars. The classes are designed to give you the tools that you need to be a good leader, especially when you are in charge of people. In almost every class I have ever been in, somewhere in the midst of the curriculum is a message about being the best that you can be. Every time I heard this it made me wonder if it was really about being the best or making sure that you are surrounding yourself with the best. Then I saw this quote and it finally hit me.

While in some sense leadership is about us as individuals, in reality it really is about everyone else. I can think of many people who were in leadership positions that refused to share their knowledge for fear that those around them would learn so much that they would outshine them and put their jobs in jeopardy. I never really understood that. My philosophy was that as my teams became better and stronger, that would ultimately reflect on me as a leader. No one is in any one position forever and a good leader builds teams that can succeed them when their time in the given role has come to an end.

In reality good teams are a common group of people that are better together. When you you combine their strength and talents and deploy them in the right places, the combination of their abilities and talent create a group that is pretty hard to beat. A good leader wants to see their team learn, grown and ultimately advance in their careers. Unfortunately, that sometimes means letting them go on to new opportunities that they have worked hard to prepare for. Teams that don’t have the opportunity to get new blood tend to get stagnant and miss out on new ways of thinking and doing things that ultimately leads to even better productivity.

Those who live a “me” philosophy in their careers may very well advance to higher positions, but they rarely garner the respect and admiration that they so wish they had. Those that work to make everyone better understand the importance of promoting the team and in turn promoting themselves without even having to call attention to themselves. At the end of the day, leadership isn’t about our being the best, it is about making everyone else the best that they can be.

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 Podcase, Google Podcast, Spotify and most podcast sites.

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One of my favorite things to do when I am away in different places is to observe people and their actions. You can learn a lot by just taking a minute to stop, look around you and see just what is going on in the world. This particular time I was doing it because of this quote I saw. Being a boy that grew up in the south in the 60’s, I was one of those people that was always taught to say yes ma’am and yes sir. We held the door open for people, opened car doors for those riding with us, helped people across the street and took care of those in need. We didn’t know anything different, we were gentlemen.

As I observed on this particular trip, I was astounded by what I saw. While waiting for an elevator, it was rare that men let women enter first. They just got on. When walking down the street, most couples were not walking together, the man was steps ahead of the woman, with her doing her best to keep up. Women opened their own doors and rarely did I ever see anyone pull a chair out for a lady when she sat down. It caused me to ask myself whether or not chivalry had died?

Now, I am not saying that this was a 100% of the time and there is no question that the older the population, the more likely I was to see chivalry still alive. However, it made me wonder where along the way in society did we forget to teach others the simple acts of kindness. Unfortunately, those things aren’t innate within us, they have to be taught and that usually takes place at home. Perhaps it is because we have become such a technological society that we have better relationships with machines than we have with our fellow humans and we have just lost the art of chivalry all together. I hope that is not the case.

For all my fellow men out there, this is a reminder that women are the backbone of our society. We have a responsibility to honor them and in doing so we in turn deserve the same. Holding a door open, opening a car door, walking side by side or pulling out a chair should not be a chore, it should be the norm. If you have lost a little bit of that chivalry, it’s easy to get back, it just takes a little effort and the pay off for both parties is very much worth it.

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

Ron

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

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In this weeks episode we explore the awesomeness of individuals with special needs and how they are the gift that keeps on giving.  You can listen at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify or other podcast sites.

Web: bringsmilestoseniors.com   Email: info@bringsmilestsoseniors

Do you ever have times in your life where you sit and think and despite all you know, you still question and wonder what it is all about? I think this happens a lot right after a vacation. You have had time to decompress (even if it was mixed with a few days of food poisoning), let some of the stresses of life go and come back with just a little more energy to face it all over again. Yet, when you return all that you left is still there, but you just have a little more rejuvenation to try and rebalance, reprioritize and make an attempt to get what you can get done every day,

I am not sure if it is scientifically proved (although I suspect that it is), but post vacation depression is likely very much a reality. You come off of a period where it really does seem like you own your own life. You get to experience new things, see new places, try new food and reconnect with friends whose relationships long needed nurturing. You fall out of routine and make the day whatever you want it to be. You escape from what is happening in the country (especially if you traveling outside it) and have a few moments to just to be. Then suddenly it’s all over and you are back to the routine and looking forward to the next. It is only natural that the high that you felt while being away leads to the temporary low you feel when it is all over.

The thing that I try and focus on is that I ever had the opportunity to be able to spend the time in the first place. To be thankful for the means to be able to go, see and explore and have that opportunity for “me time” that I often write about. I am thankful that I have friends that I am able to travel with when school is in session and my spouse is unable to go. Yet, we have those times together when school is out to reconnect and enjoy our own time together. I try to find those moments where I can just look out from my balcony, either in a hotel or a ship and just take in all that is there in front of me. The vastness of the ocean or the bustling of the city, all of it just waiting to provide you with another unexpected adventure. It is the people you meet like Mr. Keith in this picture who has been carving for 34 years and hand carved these birds out of single piece of wood. Every time I look at them I will think of him and Jamaica and smile. That in itself will bring me to a happy place in those times when I need an escape the most.

Our lives are full and complicated and there seems to be more coming at us every day. Unfortunately, there are those that never stop and take the much needed break that will benefit both they and their families. At the end of our lives I don’t think that it is likely that we will look back and say that we wish we worked more and played less. Often, it is too late when we come to the realization that we should have slowed down and taken in just a little more of what life has to offer. It doesn’t have to be grand exotic vacations. Sometimes the escape is just right outside our back door.

If you have been feeling a little overwhelmed and that you just need a break from it all, make sure you take that break. Temporary post vacation depression is worth dealing with when the alternative is mental and health related issues that come from not ensuring that we are giving our bodies and minds the break that they so often need. No one can take care of us as well as we can take care of ourselves and we deserve the opportunity to live the rich and full life that we were meant to have.

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

Ron

Mornings with Ron is not available as a podcast on anchor.fm/morningswithron and on most podcast sites.

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One of the things about taking time away from your daily routine, is that it provides you the opportunity to gain some additional perspective on your life. It allows you to look at things as a whole rather than in pieces and in doing so it gives insight into what you are doing really well and where adjustments need to be made.

As I started the first few days of my vacation with food poisoning, I felt like my body was trying to send me a message. With everything I continue to add to my plate, just how much could I handle and how many things were I doing well and how many just okay? As you can tell from my previous writings, just okay has never been enough for me and it certainly isn’t how I have ever lived my life. Yet, as I get older, I am realizing that I am only human and even humans have their limitations.

There is a process I go through when I realize that I need change. I mentally lay it all out on the table as the pieces of a puzzle. Then one by one I start to put the pieces back together again. If they fit then they stay a part of the puzzle. If they have lost an edge or broken off a part and no longer fit into the holes that were designed for them, then they get tossed and I continue to put the rest of the pieces together until finally I have a new and fresh puzzle. It contains some of the old pieces along with some of the new pieces redesigned. When I look at it again as a whole, I have gained new perspective and proceed to put the new plan in place.

Evaluating each piece of my puzzle allows me to rebalance my life to something that fits a little better. My first was this blog. I needed to balance the need of my readers with my ability to be creative. I also looked at how much I have been able to grow the blog. Despite many different efforts it has been very difficult to get additional readers. My old friend self doubt would make me think that what I am saying isn’t interesting and people don’t care. However, I know differently as you have told me so. Yet, I do realize that a post every day from a creative perspective and with everything else I have going on is probably unrealistic, so I have decided to take the blog to three days a week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That gives me a creative break in between and relieves some of the pressure of delivering, yet still provides me the emotional outlet with all of you that I have come to adore.

In life, we can choose to do a few things really well or a lot of things just mediocre. I am not a mediocre kind of guy and that is why balance is not only important, it is necessary. With a full time job, growing Bring Smiles to Seniors, the blog, the podcast and desire to still make time for family and friends, something needed to give. Down time and being away provided that perspective that I needed and sometimes just one small change brings about very positive results.

If your life is feeling a little full, try my puzzle process. It isn’t a one and done thing. I am sure on my next break I will continue to evaluate and alter until I find just the right balance. However, for today this feels right. I hope the process makes it right for you as well.

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 most podcast sites.

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I am going to be taking a break to recharge the creative juices and take a little vacation to rest and relax. We are coming off one of the most amazing quarters that the Bring Smiles to Seniors program has ever experienced. That along with my full time job and all the other life requirements is telling me that my body needs a break. I figure if I write about it, I need to practice it and I am working hard to do just that.

On March 29th we finished our third year of the Bring Smiles to Seniors program and embarked on our fourth. In the first quarter of 2019 we delivered over 17,000 cards to 196 senior communities in almost all 50 states. To put that in perspective, in our first year of operation we delivered 7,719. In our second hear we delivered 18,810 and went on to deliver 40,515 in 2018. We set a goal this year of 50,000, which meant that we need to deliver 12,500 cards a quarter to stay on the goal path. In the first quarter we exceeded that by over 4,500 cards.

Success is only possible because of the people who all come together for a common purpose to make it happen. People who believe in the passion of your cause enough to make one more card, write one more check or stamp one more envelope. It is possible because of the volunteers who help run the program because they want to, not because they have to. It is possible because of the people who use their creativity and passion to help the cause with every card they provide. It is possible because of every decorator who puts pen to paper to help finish off all the beautiful cards that you all make. Finally, it is possible because of that teacher, administrator, civic leader or employer that believes in us enough to allow their people to participate.

You have heard me say many times that this was a little dream that turned into a very big reality. I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say that there were times that I wondered if it was all too much. If the nights spent prepping cards, putting packages together, daily runs to the post office, writing daily blogs and now recording my podcasts were just too much. But then I think about that woman who spoke for the first time when the card was read to her. Or about the gentleman that moved for the first time when he reached out to take the card out of Linda’s hand. I think about the senior that hasn’t heard from family in ages and all of the sudden gets a card and a note from someone who reminds them that they still matter. It is then that I find the inner strength to continue and fulfill this purpose that life has bestowed on me.

We all have our limitations. As I get older, I am learning to understand what those limitations are and to listen to my body when it says enough. I take this break with the knowledge that we have completed one of the most amazing quarters ever and with the knowledge that when I return you will all still be there. Your compassion and dedication are my driving force and I give thanks and gratitude for each and every one of you every day.

Until I return to my daily posts and Facebook program activity on April 15th, always remember to be the reason someone smiles.

Ron

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

A new episode of Mornings With Ron podcast is now available.  This week is all about self awareness. Listen on your computer at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify or most podcasting sites.