On Wednesday of last week I was a guest on a podcast called Share Inspire Repeat (shareinspirerepeat.com). The podcast will be out in the near future and I will share with all of you. A.J. Mizes is the host of this podcast and it is all about the good in the world. Ordinary people doing good things in a big way. During the podcast I had an opportunity to tell the Bring Smiles story. In doing so, I was hit with the realization of just what the program has become as we are about to go into our fourth year.

I always tell people that I had a little dream that turned into a very big reality. When I first walked through the door of my grandmother’s nursing home for the first time, it was one of the most difficult walks I would ever take. Little did I know that would set me on a journey that would lead me to finding my purpose and fill the hole in my heart. Along the way I have been able to interact with some of the most amazing people that I would not have otherwise met. I have connected with volunteers that each have their own story who do amazing things. Together we have built a corner of the universe dedicated to good, caring, love and compassion. It has become my solace in times of grief and my happy place when I need it most.

When I started the Bring Smiles to Seniors program, I knew I was doing it to help seniors. That was the purpose. The unintended consequence of the program that become even more special was what it would do for all of you that participate as well. I didn’t realize the impact it was going to have on those that wanted to be a part of something like this. Yet, the messages that you have sent and shared with me have validated that is exactly what has happened.

There are people that have this innate desire to give back. Sometimes it out of gratitude, sometimes out of need. Many times it is because they are so thankful for what life has bestowed on them that they want to share a little in return. The generosity and compassion that has been shown throughout the first three years of this program has proved that humanity is instinctively good. We have the ability to care even when the world around us seems to be at it’s worse. We use our desire to help others to nurture own souls and leave the world a little better off than we found it.

As I listened to the words come out of my mouth on that podcast, my heart continued to grow and grow. Because of all of you my little dream did become a big reality. Because of you over 78,000 smiles have been delivered all over the country. For that I am truly grateful.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalposts #inspirationalmessages bringsmilestoseniors.com

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

Throughout our lives we have the opportunity to encounter the most amazing people. Some stick along the way. Some remain in our periphery but are never forgotten. Some are there for only a fleeting moment and leave their mark and move one. If we are truly lucky, we have a few that are almost one with our soul, to the point that you can finish each other’s sentences and think each other’s thoughts. They have this innate ability to call or text just at the right time when you need them most. It’s as if you are so connected that when the need is there the universe sends out a signal and like magic there they are.

I believe in our lives that are just certain people that were meant to be a part of it. When you look back at how they came into your life, all of the things that had to fall into place for that meeting to take place seems astounding. The times, places and circumstances are often so far out of the norm that chances are you should have never met at all. But you did, and there was a reason for that.

These individuals are the true treasures of life. They are the people that are a phone call away when your are in need. They are the people that you would drop everything for if they were in need. They are the people that you may not see for months at a time, yet when you are together it is as if time never passed. They know all your deepest secrets, share in all your accomplishments, support you in your endeavors and hold you up when you need it most. Equally, you would do the same for them. They don’t have to be told who they are because they know who they are.

I have written before about the periodic need to weed life’s garden when there are relationships that are not bearing fruit and keeping us from the parts of the garden that nurture our soul the most. Life is busy for all of us and it certainly isn’t getting any slower. It is incredibly important to carve out the times that allow us to keep those treasures fresh and alive while they are still in our lives to do that.

My treasures know who they are and they are never far from my mind and always in my heart. My hope is that you too have those people in your life that continue to nourish your soul. If you have lost contact, or too much time has gone by, make a point to reach out them today. I am sure that both you and they will be glad that you did.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalposts #inspirationalmessages bringsmilestoseniors.com

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

This morning I was thinking about how we go about our day and encounter all kinds of people in many different scenarios and situations. Most people we run into are friendly and kind, yet there times we encounter those that don’t create the most pleasant of experiences. This happens a lot in service industries, on customer service calls and as we are dealing with people in the public. While there is no excuse for being down right rude, when these situations do occur. I try to stop and consider that the person may be going through something in their day that has totally thrown them off and make an attempt to turn their day around. Linda and I saw this all the time when we were delivering cards to senior communities.

One memory that stands out more than others was when Linda and I were visiting a senior community here in Florida. The Activities Director was walking us around the rooms to deliver cards when she took Linda into the room of a gentleman that was sitting on his sofa. Linda approached the man and said “Hi sir, how are you doing today?” The man looked Linda straight in the eyes and yelled at her, “how do you think I’m doing you A***, I’m dying”. As you can guess the immediate thought was to run from the room as quickly as possible. But after wishing him a good day, we stood outside and attempted to compose ourselves and evaluate what had just happened.

We quickly came to the realization that we had no idea what that man was going through. Perhaps he truly was dying and in his attempt to cope with what was the inevitable, his only release was to take it out on us to alleviate some of the internal fear that he was experiencing. We happened to be the outlet for the release at that moment and we knew that it had nothing to do with us.

Like this man who was enduring his own internal trauma, we never really know what has happened in anyone’s day when we encounter strangers. Their mood at the moment may have been caused by some catastrophic event that happened earlier in the day. It may have been because multiple customers before us have berated them for things they had no control over. It could be because they are having family difficulties from which they can’t escape. We have all been there and that makes it even more important to not respond in kind, but attempt to alter the encounter to attempt to leave it on a more positive note.

If we try and find the best in people, even if they are portraying the worst at the moment, we are the ones that sometimes have the ability to turn that persons day around. Engaging and participating in their mire, only adds to the risk that our day may be ruined as well.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalmessages #inspirationalposts bringsmilestoseniors.com

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 is now available. This week it’s all about taking care of ourselves.  I hope you enjoy!

Do you ever wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and ask yourself who you are? Not just who you are to everyone else, but that deep look into your soul to discover exactly who you are to yourself. We go through life deciding what we want to be, wanting to decide who we want to be and and eventually, hopefully becoming what we ultimately want. Sounds complicated does it not? In some ways it is, but I believe the reason is that mostly with all the worldly distractions, we just cannot seem to find the right focus.

From an early age, I knew I wanted to do something great. Not for recognition and praise from others. But rather something that would have a quiet impact on the world and leave it a little better off than I found it. I can point to a series of events in my life that led me to focusing on seniors. However, it was not until I had to deal with my grandmother’s dementia, nursing home stay and eventual passing that I discovered what that great thing was supposed to be. The funny things is, once I found it, all the pieces of the puzzle started to come together. That is how Bring Smiles to Seniors was born.

As a child, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother. Because of her taking care of the sick and the lonely it also meant I spent a lot of time with the elderly. On trips with her she would visit people that were much older then she. In summers I would spend time with family and friends that were well into their older years. Some of my best of friends tended to be people far my senior. The eventual interaction with the people in her nursing home finally sealed the deal. All of these were experiences helped me explore and understand my own soul.

While there are many components of our life that come together to make it whole, I believe that knowing our own soul is one of the most important activities that we can ever undertake. The reason is, knowing our soul guides us in everything else that we do. Although we may never know our soul completely as it will evolve with life, having a good understanding of it provides us with the foundation that permits us to enjoy many of life’s other desires.

I believe that when we truly understand our soul, we can look in the mirror, deep in our own eyes, and not only like what we see, but feel a sense of contentment and calmness that lets us know that all is right within us. Feeding our soul and nurturing it is one of life’s most important tasks. Knowing and nurturing our soul is a requirement on the path to happiness.

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 on anchor.fm, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting sites.

We all have some sort of creativity that we are all capable of. Some of it is big and bold, while others are small and subtle. However, each is a gift that we possess that when we use it to the fullest not only nurtures our own soul, but often the souls of others as well. Some are so confident in their creative gifts that they find it easy to put them out there and share. They have natural born talent that with which they are so comfortable that it allows them to portray it in the grandest of ways. Others, like me, believe in that talent but often let our old nemesis self doubt sneak in and it becomes necessary to add a a little courage to the mix to take the steps needed to share our creativity.

I have always had a passion for writing. Even when I was a kid I would buy ledgers from the local five and dime store and write poetry and paste pictures to them. I still have one of my original ledgers that I pull out from time to time and blush when I read some of my early work. I never really had an outlet for my writing and the Bring Smiles to Seniors program and this blog was my first opportunity to share my creativity with the masses. It was no easy task for me. Many questions arose that almost kept it from coming to be. Could I think of five things to write every week? How do I set up a website? Will the messages be interesting enough? Most of all, would anyone even read it? You all answered those questions in a big way and the blog will soon be a year old. The next likely step became a podcast.

I have to be honest that I barely even knew what a podcast was. I researched, read and talked to my brother who also has a podcast himself for artists. He told me all the equipment to buy and piece by piece it arrived. As I stared at it the fear only got worse and the boxes sat in my office floor for almost six months before I started to open and explore them on one of his visits. As he walked me through he process of recording, editing and finally posting, I once again found myself facing all the same questions and doubts. Most of all, would anyone even listen? Once again, my endeavor was confirmed and my fears proved unfounded.

Several weeks ago I was listening to a podcast that has quite a following by A.J. Mizes called @shareinspirerepeat. It is a Podcast focused on #good and he has guests that do inspirational things and talk about amazing stories of good things they have encountered. I reached out to him and this Wednesday I will be recording an episode of his podcast with him to be released sometime this month. I was not even sure that he would return my message, but he did and my conversation with him was uplifting, exciting and was another validation that I do have the courage to do all this that is foreign to me, if I only believe.

I see amazing creativity in the Bring Smiles to Seniors Program every day. I am always astounded when people ask me if their cards are good enough, when they are some of the most beautiful cards that I have ever seen. We all have our own self doubt that we deal with on a daily basis. The beautiful thing is that we also all have the courage to be creative and the world is a beautiful place because of it.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalposts #inspirationalmessages bringsmilestoseniors.com

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

As we go through our early years in life, we spend a lot of time working on our life path and as many know the path is not always readily recognizable. We consider things like where we will go to college, what kind of career we will pursue, what will our family situation be like and what will be our altruistic efforts. Many times we think we need to know every thing that is going to happen by the time we reach our early years. Yet, what we quickly learn as life goes on is that sometimes the best laid plans don’t pan out and we are forced to accept change and maneuver until we finally get to the place we want to be, if we ever do.

When I was In high school I wanted to be a doctor, a dentist, a chef, an astronaut and the list goes on. Many teens find the inability to decide on what they want to do a problem, when in reality it is perfectly normal. Deciding our path sometimes takes exploration of our inner selves and that often doesn’t happen until after high school and sometimes not even until after college and beyond. I decided to go to college my first year but it did not feel like the place where I was supposed to be. So, I decided to join the Air Force and spent four years there. It did’t feel like the place that I was supposed to be either. From there I went to multiple jobs until I would up in the prescription benefit management industry for 27 years and it never felt like where I was supposed to be. So many years and there always seemed to be something missing.

We often get complacent, think that we are stuck and we have to just accept things as they are because that is what life has dealt us. However, when the passion is missing the want for something more is always there and not seeking it keeps us from fulfilling our true purpose. When I finally left that industry for something different I moved into a health care network company. It was different, provided more of a life balance and the company I chose had a compassion for employees that I was not used to. However, the best thing was that because I had more of a work life balance I was finally able to discover my purpose and passion when I founded the Bring Smiles to Seniors program. Finally, that hole in my heart that had been there for so long was filled. Discovering my passion for helping seniors helped me supplement the requirement of a job for survival and sustenance. That led me directly to my life purpose.

I found my passion and purpose in my mid fifties. Many people discover it early on, some later in life and unfortunately some never find their passion and purpose at all. If you feel that hole in your heart and soul and something seems to be missing, it becomes incredibly important for you to discover what it is that drives you, motivates you and creates that passion. Once you do and fully commit to it, it is only then that you will find your purpose and you can live the full life that you may have always been seeking.

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

Ron

#bringsmilestoseniors #inspirationalposts #inspirationalmessages #inspiration bringsmilestoseniors.com

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

Welcome to a new episode of Mornings with Ron. In this week’s episode Ron talks about the importance of taking care of others. He hopes these words provoke thought, inspire the heart and feed the soul.

Ron started the Bring Smiles to Seniors program in honor of his grandmother Lola Mae.  In this episode you will get to know her a little and understand why she had such an influence on his life.  He hopes the words provoke thought, inspire the heart and feed the soul.

In this episode Ron talks about how to make the most of our life minutes. Whether you choose to binge listen or save one for each morning, I hope that you enjoy and the words provoke thought, inspire the heart and feed the soul.