Smile Train’s Post

Work-life balance goes beyond just a buzzword. It's about being present for the ones we care about during life's pivotal moments. For me, it meant supporting my husband through surgery yesterday and transitioning my parents to assisted living this year. Each phase of life brings unique challenges, making it a true blessing to work with companies that prioritize this balance and empower success. #WorkLifeBalance #SupportingBalance #EmpoweringSuccess #LiftBridgeCXO

💜 PERSEVERANCE 💜 In the waiting room, as my love one underwent surgery, I discovered the power of unwavering determination. Life's challenges can strike unexpectedly, but we possess the resilience to persevere. In such moments, it's crucial to remain focused and utilize the time wisely. I found a way to work on my laptop, turning the waiting room into a productive space. This experience taught me that, no matter the circumstances, our determination and adaptability can help us make the most of any situation. How are you pushing forward on your goals today? ✨ #perseverance #resilience #determination #unexpectedchallenges

I am a lucky guy. The picture below tells the story of my last few weeks. My wife of 46 years (Joan) has been having severe knee issues after a total knee replacement in 2012. Her ortho surgeon said that the knee needed total "revision" surgery. We were able to get it scheduled in 2 weeks; surgery was October 27. Joan is now home with me as her primary caregiver. I am able to do this with the full support of my family, friends AND my clients. Currently, I have 5 individual coaching engagements and I am helping a long-time client do 18 Birkman personality profile conversations over 8 weeks. In addition, I am talking to a key client about a significant project for 2024. Every one of these clients said, "Richard, take care of Joan, we can delay a few meetings. Or, we can Zoom at a time that works for you. Focus on your wife right now." I get a little misty writing these words. My clients are not "just" clients. We are partners in so many ways. We understand that work and life need to be integrated. As, Stephen Covey said, "First things first." If you are an independent coach / consultant, I hope that you are blessed with clients who are both "anchors" and "buoys." Did I mention that I am lucky guy? #worklifeintegration Birkman #clientappreciation #consulting #coaching Marshall Goldsmith Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching

There is no such thing as "overnight success", and the idea actually cracks me up a bit. 👉  Patience is a virtue - you persist, and you wait. 🙏🏼 👉  When I was confined to bed for four months with a slipped disc, unable to even sit in a chair, my doctor suggested surgery, but I was like, "Nope, let's figure this out without going under the knife." 😐 My choice seemed crazy to those around me, but I like doing things my way. 👉  Despite the circumstances, I managed to stay highly productive. 😎 The thing about success is that it's not always what you expect. If you just accept your situation as it is, believing that's all there is, then you're never going to see anything change. #Challenges #Success #CelebrateYourWins #PersonalGrowth #Vulnerability

In 2019 I started working for myself, was scheduled for surgery just a few months later and put out of work for 6 months as a result. Then in 2020, after launching Way More, well, we all know what happened in 2020. 😷 Sometimes things come out of the blue and there’s nothing you can do about it. 🤷♀️ Instead of dwelling on the things that you can’t control or change, consider what you can do each day to keep moving forward. No matter if the steps are little, they’re still steps in the right direction! Because if you seriously want something, your mindset will overcome the set backs. Never give up, and you’ll make it! #NeverGiveUpDay #Motivation #Mindset

How to get through difficult times? I had a major surgery recently It needed me to stay put for two months The recovery time can be as long as 6 months So, what did I do to hold up? Well, I have no secret formula, Here are some tips that are helping me along the way: Envision all the good things that you will be able to do once you are better It helps you to get through the difficult times when you are in pain Make Goals and write them down. Yes that simple! Draw out a Plan of Action on how to achieve your GOALS You will be surprised by the positive energy flush you will feel. Surround yourself with positive people, Positive influence shapes your thoughts! Celebrate your small wins, Break the big task into small milestones The action of celebration will trigger happy hormones Listen to all the negative thoughts, Acknowledge them and then move on! There's light at the end of a long black tunnel, So hang in there and it will be over soon, Keep learning, Keep growing! 

“It’s okay if they hate you as long as they hate you every day.” Thank you, Royce Blake, for sharing this inspiring mantra from his experience in radio at my first Linkedin Audio Event: Getting Over the Fear of Self-Promoting. A few of my other [paraphrased] takeaways were: Chelle Shapiro: Learn how to trust your expertise and the fact that your voice is needed. Roy Kowarski: Stick to the three C’s of consistency, competency, and credibility. Show up often, show up with value, and make sure the experiences on your profile can back you up. Shivankar Rawat: You don’t need plastic surgery to look good at an event, but you do need personal grooming. Don’t change yourself, just show up as your best self online. My personal contribution: If you don’t feel like you stand out or are unique enough in your industry, you probably aren’t showing enough of yourself. There were so many other valuable insights that I would love to shout out, but I don’t want to paraphrase them inaccurately, so feel free to leave additional tips in the comments. I appreciate everybody who attended today. You made this such a fun and insightful experience. I hope to see you at future audio events! #audioevent #linkedin #selfpromotion #confidence

As I journey through my recuperation from recent foot surgery, I'm embracing the practice of taking things slower and treasuring each moment. Would you like to join me on this path of patience and mindfulness? Discover the full story linked in the comments section. #patience #mindfulness

Before you have open heart surgery, do you watch a "How To" video on how you can perform that on yourself? Hopefully not. But I have no doubt you would be interested in hearing Why you likely need this surgery or What it entails before they cut you open. WHY is this more important than that? WHAT do I need to know before I make this decision? The fine line is to give this info without providing blanketed advice for everyone with a pulse and instead painting a picture of the scenario where that particular What and Why work best. So does this mean "How To" videos are bad? No. It means that they're lacking if we don't have context and meaning to go with it. Let me explain. As I prepare to share some "How To" for people in a special community I'm about to launch, I've been thinking about this a lot. I could do a bunch of videos for people to watch like others do, but if you don't know why it's important and what situations are best for the subject matter, it's going to be in your ear and out the other in 24-48 hours. I know because this is exactly what happens to me. Inspiration, going to use this when I get home and...scene. Then when I find it again in some folder 4 years from now, I'll still hang onto it like that 15 year old sweatshirt that my wife wants me to toss. Because, you know...someday I may use it. Which is why I'm a proponent of making this subject matter I plan on sharing highly interactive and live so the Why and What are equally absorbed. And it'll be exclusively small group stuff so I get to more people with every session. More on that to come within the next few weeks. In the meantime, don't assume that your experience and credibility have to be proven. That's playing to the lowest common denominator. It IS proven. It IS real. Nothing and nobody can change that. Please read that paragraph 50 times if you need to. All you're trying to do is help people understand if you are the best proven and real partner among the proven and real choices to get them to their milestones. Don't underestimate the power of explaining What they need and Why they need it in that equation. It could be the ultimate difference maker. #storytelling #community #videomarketing

8 months post hip surgery—feeling appreciative! 🙏🏼 One thing this journey continues to remind me is: There’s a difference between motivation and inspiration! Motivation comes from outside of you—you have to look for motivation. But inspiration… it comes from within you. You don’t have to look for it. It is inspired from you. The word “in-spire” comes from the word “in-spirit”. Meaning, it comes from spirit. With spirit, you have more leverage. More power. 💥 How do you get inspired? Look for things to appreciate in each moment even when it seems impossible. For instance: When I was in so much pain I couldn’t walk or sleep properly, I chose to appreciate that there are people out there that could help me find a way .. and with that I was “inspired” to go, be and do at the right time—and timing led me to all the right people for the right support for me. 🫶🏼 After surgery, when I couldn’t do the things I used to do (and that really made me sad), I chose to appreciate the fact that my body is higher intelligence and knows how to heal itself with my help! With that attitude, I was inspired to all the right action steps that followed. And so here I am sharing this: Appreciation can lead to a whole lot of inspiration. 💯 Look for things to appreciate right now no matter what, and have a great week my friends! 💫 #MondayInspiration #Appreciation