If you had an opportunity to listen to my interview with AJ Mizes on his Share, Inspire, Repeat podcast, he told about an interesting study that was done regarding gratitude and the physical effect it has on our brain. I think that one of the most interesting things in the study was the determination that gratitude cannot be faked. For it to actually have an impact on our physiology, true gratitude has to exist. That got me to thinking. What is it that drives many people to be so grateful for life’s blessings that they are driven to show their gratitude in ways that help others that are less fortunate than themselves?

Throughout the Bring Smiles to Seniors program I have experienced the beauty of gratitude from a myriad of individuals. Giving is rarely driven by what one has, but rather by one’s need and desire to show gratitude for what has been bestowed on them. Being rich doesn’t meant that one gives more and being poor doesn’t mean that one gives less. For each finds their own way to express their gratitude for their own life blessings and they all carry equal weight and value when it comes to the effect on the brain.

One of the reasons that I feel the need to show gratitude in a multitude of ways is I have been in the place where I have had nothing. There is nothing more humbling than going to your cupboard in the morning when you are hungry and finding nothing there to eat or no money in your pocket to be able to go and buy something. The last of the month’s resources have been used and you just get through to the next payday until you can once again have the resources for sustenance. I have written about this before. I also show gratitude because my family did without to ensure that my brother and I could have. I show gratitude because there are people who believed in me and my causes enough to be a part of the journey.

People often fail to show gratitude because they believe that what they have to offer is inferior to what others may be able to give and that is quite unfortunate. In showing gratitude, it is never about the quantity, it is about the heartfelt expression that is your own way of showing that you are truly grateful. Even those who have little have reason to be grateful for in the end they could have nothing.

At the end of the day, gratitude is a personal thing and no one can make us feel or show gratitude. It has to come from within and be driven by the desire to first have a reason to be grateful and second have the will to make that gratitude known. The mere fact that we are all here in this world, living out our own purpose, is at its core reason enough to show gratitude every day.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalposts #inspirationalmessages bringsmilestoseniors.com

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

Ever wonder how the Bring Smiles to Seniors progam came to be? In this special podcast Ron shares the Bring Smiles to Seniors journey.

Listen at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or most podcast sites.

bringsmilestoseniors.com

Ever wonder why we procrastinate? All the minutes we need to get something done are staring us right in the face, yet for that moment we just can’t bring ourselves to start the task. I suspect that there are many reasons for that. It’s a mundane task that we just don’t like to do. It takes more effort than we have to exert at that particular moment. We get a better offer and it is easier to lay that task to the side and get to it later. Or, maybe we just don’t want to do it at all. No matter the decision, they all lead to one outcome, the task isn’t done and it still occupies a place in our mind that could be free for something else. Perhaps even something else enjoyable.

I have always been one of those people that do not like to have a list of things in front of me that I need to accomplish. Seeing all those tasks uncompleted causes me angst that is far worse than just taking all the time that I need to get the tasks done. However, that is not necessarily healthy either. I miss social engagements, time with my family, hours of sleep and often more enjoyable alternatives because I can’t seem to let a task wait until tomorrow. I often feel this innate need for perfection that drives me from one task to the next. As I get older, it has become more obvious that I may not be making the best decisions.

First of all, as we age our bodies no longer the have the capability to go as we did in our younger years. It begins to yell at us when we push it a little too hard to exert the kind of energy necessary to complete everything that needs to get done. Heaven forbid we should catch the latest germ or cold that is going around as it takes us twice as long to get over it because we aren’t preserving the energy that we need to just exist.

Second, as we have added more and more to our life responsibilities, there comes a point when something has to give. It becomes so important to prioritize the things that have to get done over the things that need to get done. Those lists that I detest all of the sudden have become necessary to be able to balance all that life throws at you. They are also the only way that it is possible to even try and maintain a sense of balance in your life.

As you grow older and more involved in what life has to offer, you soon learn that procrastination isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It becomes a tool, when used properly, that helps you deal with life’s requirements. Crossing something off the list provides a sense of self accomplishment that strengthens you to tackle the next task. While you are always adding and deleting from your list, by keeping one you always know that which has to get done is getting done, while that which needs to get done is only a line on the list away.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalmessages #inspirationalposts bringsmilestoseniors.com

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

In my Podcast this week (anchor.fm/morningswithron) I talked about our old friend self doubt and how it likes to rear its ugly head any time we find ourselves in a situation that is new or uncomfortable. When we are in the middle of the unknown, the likelihood that we we will not continue to pursue success or simply just give in is at its greatest point. The fear of failure often drives the chance for accomplishment and it is in those moments where we give in that we miss out on one of life’s opportunities to strengthen our foundation and build that stepping stone to the next accomplishment.

Things that are familiar and routine are much easier to do, so we tend to do them more. They make us comfortable and and have such a high chance of success that we often stick to those things that are known to us. However, doing so keeps us from being able to broaden our horizons and create new life experiences that help to make our lives full, exciting and robust. That doesn’t mean that venturing into the unknown isn’t scary or unnerving. It just means that we have to dig for that little extra bit of strength and stamina to see us through to completion. Once we are able to be successful, oh what a wonderful feeling it is.

Have you ever always wanted to do something unusual? It has been in the back of your mind for ever, yet you don’t even know how to begin and know that many of the tasks involved are things that you are unfamiliar with. However, you embark on the journey anyway and one by one you discover that you have abilities inside you that you didn’t even know that you had. Each task completion gives you the strength and confidence to move on to the next and before you know it you have completed that which you thought was impossible.

These can involve major things in your life or simple ones. But they all culminate to become a part of the true you and all that you are actually able to do. When our pool pump went out, my first inkling was to call the pool person and pay whatever it cost to have it replaced. Then I made the decision to do some research on pumps, watch some YouTube videos on installations and step by step I completed the replacement of the pump for half of what it would have cost to be installed. That gave me the confidence to tackle other tasks in my home that I never thought possible and the money that I would have used for those things was able to be directed to other things. I did that so many times that I am now at the point that I believe I could tackle anything, well anything that doesn’t have the risk of killing me, and usually I can be successful.

When making decisions in our lives on the unknown, old self doubt is the first thing that wants to make its visit. It often keeps us from experiencing greater things that life has to offer, inhibits our self confidence and keeps life mundane. The more we step outside our box and the more we expand life’s horizons, we create that full and abundant life that keeps our soul nourished. Had a task lately that you think was out of your realm of capability? Give self doubt the boot and I bet you can do more than you even realize. In fact, I know you can.

Have a great weekend and remember to be the reason someone smiles

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalmessages #inspirationalquotes bringsmilestoseniors.com #50000in2019

Mornings with Ron is not available by Podcast on your computer at anchor.fm/mornignswithron or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting sites.

When we have good intentions, truly commit and ask the world and universe to assist us in those intentions, it is amazing what falls into place. Not that the road wont be hard or rocky, for it is those moments that are necessary to build the stepping stones required to reinforce our journey. Never has that been more evident in my life than the Bring Smiles to Seniors program.

When I made the initial decision to just do a Facebook post and ask my friends to send cards that I could deliver to the residents in my grandmother’s nursing home, my intention was to do that as a one time thing. For that moment, I would be able to bring a little cheer into the lives of some people who needed it most. But often it is those temporary intentions that plant seeds within us that, when nurtured, turn into something far more than we ever expected.

Acts of kindness and expressions of gratitude have this way of becoming the roots of a tree that take hold and grow one branch at a time. The more we water and fertilize it, the more the branches start to appear. Then as it matures, the branches produce leaves and sometimes eventually flowers. At end of the day those little seeds become something wonderful to behold. Such was the case with the Bring Smiles journey.

In the first year of the program I spent thousands of my own money trying to build our card angel network through Facebook, buying cards and supplies and ensuring that cards were delivered. You came one by one. Even when the card bins were bare and the post office visits turned up empty, we continued to believe in our purpose and our mission and out of the blue a post or word of mouth connection would bring another person that believed in what we were trying to do. A new branch, a new leaf and a new flower.

Last year when I made the decision to go big and start delivering cards to all 50 states, I did so because I wanted to thank all those who are donating cards from all over the country. I was also petrified because I knew that postage was going to become our number one expense as we now were delivering packages of prepared cards to senior communities from Florida to Alaska to be handed out to residents. Then of course postage costs went up and that expense became even greater. At the time when I thought I might have made a big miscalculation, we won the $5,000 grant from the Tampa Bay Lighting foundation with the community hero award. Another leaf on the branch.

This year we are adding even more communities in more states and continuing our outreach to more senior community homes. We sit with a little over $2,000 in our fund to continue our work and today fourteen more packages are headed out in the mail all the way to Hawaii and Alaska. We will keep sending until we get to zero and aren’t able to send any more. However, although not being able to continue is my biggest fear, it is also my greatest challenge and if you have regularly read my posts or listen to my podcasts, you know that ‘no’ is my least favorite word.

At the end of the day I don’t believe that those who believe in our cause will ever let us get to zero. No, we aren’t a large national non-profit that enjoys the benefits of millions of dollars that pour into the coffers every day. But we are just as resolved. We are diligent with our resources. We find bargains and sales to acquire our supplies for our decorating program and we make every single dollar that we receive count. Yes, there is a message in this, we are constantly in need of help. But there is no going back now. The roots have taken hold and there are way too many branches and leaves to turn back. We will hit 50,000 cards delivered this year. We will deliver to all 50 states. We will continue delivering one card, one smile at a time. As Ella said, “Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong”.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalposts #inspirationalmessages #50000in2019 bringsmilestoseniors.com

Morning With Ron is now available as a podcast on your computer at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting sites.

What can you accomplish with teamwork? How important is your word? Is Service really all that?  All these topics and more explored in this new episode of Mornings With Ron.

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Sometimes in life the unexpected moments are the ones that turn out to be the best and create the most amazing memories. You know, those moments that aren’t planned but when you are in the moment you wish that time would stand still and you could be in that moment for ever. Then, before you know it, it’s over and then you have to go back to reality and the every day world.

I often wonder why those moments don’t happen more. Is it because we are so busy that when the opportunity arises for them to happen the possibility passes by without us even realizing the opportunity was there? Is it because we are so busy with our every day lives that we just don’t make room for those kind of moments to become a reality? Or, is it that our lives have become so mundane and routine that we no longer seek those opportunities because living in those moments just takes too much effort?

I wound venture to say that sometimes it is a combination of all the above and other times it is just because we find it difficult to stop and just be in that moment. It is funny when those times happen that we find them almost impossible to repeat. That moment at a dinner where everything was spectacular, isn’t so hot the next time you go and try it again. That moment with friends where you laughed your heads off isn’t quite as funny the next time you are all together. That experience that was so amazing, wasn’t quite as amazing when you duplicated it. Why is that?

When you think about it, a lot of things have to happen to put you in that moment, at that time and place. People’s demeanors, the environment and all the outside influences that are coming together during that particular moment are almost impossible to align exactly the same way. It is kind of like lightning not striking the same place twice. That means only one thing. When we have those opportunities we have to take full advantage of them.

Some of my best memories are when the unexpected happened. I have met friends that have lasted a lifetime, discovered places that have become my favorite places in the world and had moments of self discovery that have nourished my soul. My hope for you is that you also have have those same moments and that when you look back you smile, laugh and sometimes even cry. Life’s amazing moments are a gift and we all deserve a lot more of them.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirtaionalposts #inspirationalmessages bringsmilestoseniors.com

On both my blog and in my podcast, I talk a lot about making the most of life’s minutes. The decisions that we make every morning in relation to those 1,440 minutes can often have an impact on what not only the rest of our day will be like, but our month, year and sometimes the remainder of our lives. There is no escape from the decisions that we have to make as long as there is another breath to breathe.

Last week, I had a by chance opportunity to talk to one of our wonderful card angels in Illinois. She asked me a question that many people ask. How do you do it all? A full time job, a full time non-profit, taking care of family, visiting with friends and travel. I told her the same thing that I tell most people. My grandmother’s blood runs through me. She was one of those people that could never sit still, always had to be doing something and kept very busy. It was what fed her soul. She lived to 96 and even in her last days we always said that if she every stopped we were afraid that would be the end. Up until the end she never did.

However, one of the things that I learned is that it is so important to balance your life with things that feed and nourish your stomach as well as things that feed and nourish your soul. When you do, you tend to find this inner strength that gives you what you need to power though all the things that need to be accomplished. Another secret is to surround yourself with good competent people where it isn’t all left up to you and you know that the things that need to get done will get done. I do that in my work life, the program life and my personal life.

It is equally important to include people in your life that help nourish your soul as well and let those people fill those areas where you need a little support and nourishment for you personally. People who make you smile when it is play time. Those that support your causes and are there for you in the ups and downs. People that include you in their life’s journey, but are also your go to when life is letting you down.

Finally, it is necessary to find that which you love and just do it. The outlet for my anxiety and thing that invigorates me the most when I feel like I have had enough is my travel. Getting away, seeing other cultures, having some down times and just being with friends or family helps to recharge the battery that keeps everything else going. It isn’t always easy to leave everything behind when so many people are counting on you, but it is something that must happen to be able to sustain the kind of existence that many of us live.

If your life feels a little out of whack, then take a good accounting of the things that are sapping your soul and those that are feeding it. Bring those things into balance and ensure that you have the support system that is necessary for a healthy balanced life. It is only then that we can keep it all in perspective and make the most of life that it has to offer.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalmessages #inspirationalposts bringsmilestoseniors.com

Mornings With Ron is now available on podcast. You can listen on your computer at anchor.fm/com or on your smart phone on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify or most podcasting sites.

If you are a caregiver or have a friend or family member dealing with Dementia or Alzheimers, then this bonus episode of Mornings With Ron is for you.

Listen on your computer at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on your smart phone on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and most podcast sites.

Card by Rachel Fia at http://www.fiasdesigns.com

If you have had a chance to listen to my interview with AJ Mizes on his Share, Inspire, Repeat show, you will have already heard these two stories. However, as we end this week, I wanted to tell them again for all those that haven’t heard them because….well they just make me feel so darn good.

In the early days of the Bring Smiles to Seniors program, before we expanded to deliver in all 50 states, we delivered cards by hand to senior residences. The activities director would take Linda and I to each room to hand deliver the cards to the residents. There are two particular instances that stand out for both of us that are my go to stories when I want to show the power of your work and what one single card can do.

The first happened in one of our first senior communities that we ever delivered to. On our rounds we went into one particular room where the activities director told us that the woman in the room did not speak and she would not be able to open and read the card. She asked if we would open the card and read it to the woman and she would then sit it on the side of her bed. This happened to be one of the cards written by a student at one of the local schools. So, Linda took the card out of the envelope and read the message that the student had written. She then showed the picture of the card to the lady in the bed. As soon as she did, the lady looked up at Linda, stared in her eyes and said “Thank You”. We thought the activities director was going to fall over as she had not heard the woman speak. It was then that we knew we were on to something great.

The second situation happened a few months later in a different senior community. Again on our rounds with the activities director, we encountered a gentleman that was sitting in a wheelchair. As the other activities director had done, this particular one said that the man was immobile and that he would not be able to hold the card and asked if we could remove the card and read it to him. Once again Linda worked her magic, removed the card and read the message. She then showed the front of the card to the man. To everyone’s amazement, the man then reached up and took the card out of Linda’s hand. The card moved him so much that he found the power and will to move.

These are two, but there are many stories from those days. It was a validation that the work that we had done to start this program was well worth it. The experiences proved to us that we were on to something powerful and that all the love that goes into making, writing messages and decorating the cards combine to create something magical and wonderful that proves that a card is not just a piece of paper.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalposts #inspirationalmessages bringsmilestoseniors.com

Mornings With Ron is not available as a podcast on your computer at anchor.fm/morningswithron or on your smart phone on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting sites.