Is it worth it

This is Ron with your motivational message,

 

 

I spent four ten hour days painting at the Linn County fairgrounds. I do it more for the exposure and the inspiration it provides. Those that pass by, many would stop and talk to me and others would make comments as they walked by. The crowd wouldn’t stop unless I was painting. So I felt pressured to paint the whole time, and yes my neck was aching by the time it was over. I wondered at times if it was worth it…

painting

Then Diana my night time caregiver told me:

 

My sister Brenda was at the park with the kids, my son Aaron and my nephew Elijah They were talking to two other kids, a 3rd and 4th grader. Somehow they got on the subject of the two shows, Ninja Warrior and American Tarzan, which are two very physically intense competition shows. My sister had shared with the 3rd and 4th grader that she was inspired by a lady contestant on American Tarzan that was in a car accident and had broke her back. She had rods and pins holding her back together and she was still able to compete in the competition.

 

 One of the boys said to my sister, “The other day I met a man in a wheelchair at the fair paralyzed from the neck down and he could paint with his mouth.” The boy thought it was the coolest thing. With excitement he said, “My mom bought a painting and he signed it.” My sister Brenda told him, “I know him; my sister is one of his caregivers.” The boy said, “oh how cool!”

 

painting at linn

So if you feel like you are doing something and it doesn’t feel like you are making a difference. All positive actions are recognized by somebody. More importantly the creator doesn’t let a good deed go unrecognized. So I will paint on with the pain, and you will walk on thru the rain. Or whatever else you do, someone is watching.

 

To your inspirations,

 

RON

Help us spread the word!

We all know what its like to live in the hustle and bustle of life. It becomes mundane in the midst of chaos. It’s important as a family to have positive experiences. To leave and to go into nature can be a serene and wonderful experience for a family. I am committed to making this happen for people with disabilities. To be around like minded individuals gives you an opportunity to build bonds and lifelong friendships. A place to share your story and find some encouragement from somebody else’s story and experiences. I need your help today; we cannot let this unique opportunity of donated land on Maui slip away. Camp Can Do-Can be built when good people come together. Please take a moment to visit go fund me and share it /send it to all of your friends you will be glad you did.http://www.gofundme.com/campcandomaui

Happy Father’s Day

 

Thumbs up to all the great dads out there! Father’s day is a special day, Fathers are truly valuable let’s not take our jobs lightly dads! This is a video of me and my girls! Go and see ‘Me before you’ and you will see why this is so special!

 

Camp ‘Can Do’ Maui Dream

This is Ron with your motivational message,

It’s been 26 years since the American Disability Act was implemented for the purpose of creating access for all. Unfortunately barriers still remain. We have found one area that is left unnoticed, or goal is to tear down these walls and an outdoor camping experience. In 2000 Oregon’s first fully wheelchair accessible camp was opened and founded by Ron Heagy. His dream did not stop there and it’s time to build Camp ‘Can Do’ Maui. We have been given a unique opportunity of 5 acres of land. The dream will come true because of people like you! Where ‘Can Do’ becomes an action through access to nature, a Never Give Up attitude is instilled, and campers realize their own potential to change the world.

To your inspirations,

 

Ron

Who’s sleeping in poop

This is Ron Heagy with your Motivational Message,


What a terrible crappy day, everyone seems to poop on me, I feel like crap. I got dumped on. My boss is a jerk….

I was having one of those poor me days. As I sat painting these delicate little owls, I changed my focus and I asked myself what unique characteristics they possess that I might learn from. So I asked my secretary Ashley to look up some facts, check it out, they even use cow dung!

• Burrowing owls are one of the smallest owls in North America.
• When alarmed, young birds will make a hissing call that sounds like a rattlesnake.
• Unlike most owls, these owls are awake during the day, especially in the spring to hunt for their large broods. They next in large colonies about 100 yards
• They build their nests in burrows that other small animals have excavated such as moles and prairie dogs.
• The most common material for their nests is mammal dung, usually cattle. Researchers once thought the dung was to mask the smell of juvenile owls, but now it is believed the dung helps to control a microclimate and it attracts insects which the owls may eat.
• The chicks can fly well at 6 weeks old, and leave the nest after 45 days to hunt insects.

In application I thought of my own life, am I fixated on new stuff? Having something for the first time, I responded, “no I like garage sales, their junk my treasure.” My stepmom decorations are dazzling, her clothes, and jewelry is sophisticated. She is a first class act, and get this her birthday request was a goodwill certificate. She converts her home like a burrowing owl, using others unwanted material, or ‘crap’ and turns it into her own beauty.

The real impact for me,
I instantly smiled when it donned on me how much I can’t complain about having a ‘BAD DAY’.
Is there any reason we cannot have the Burrowing owls attitude? Could i see the piles of ‘poo’ in my life and turn it into something positive. Yes, here is one- I broke my neck, life dumped on me. I can’t even move my hands. But I can paint with my mouth. It’s not fair if there are not accessible camps. The disabled are treated like crap. So I built a camp. Where disabilities rock and roll! Its crappy situation hiring drivers when i need to travel to the store but I had a nice conversation, and it turned out to be a meaningful relationship. Now don’t get me wrong, not everything i have touched has turned into gold. I have failed in many ways, but I am not a failure.
Is it possible to turn our losses into gains, negatives into positives? Find the beauty in the ashes

Turning dung into a nest

Can you get a whiff of the Burrowing Owls innovation?

Knock Knock
Who’s there?
Who
Who-Who?
I didn’t know you were an owl!

To your inspirations,

RonIMG_0946

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

This is Ron with your motivational message,

When I was a kid my first real job that actually paid more than an allowance was to hop on a bus at 6:30am to head to Oregon’s finest strawberry fields. When we arrived it was literally strawberry fields forever.

Our job- to fill crates full of ripe, red, juicy, and incredibly sweet strawberries. I was determined and dedicated to turn this freshly picked fruit into fists full of cash. My imagination and entrepreneurial side visualized 20 crates at a dollar a piece. I had seven hours and boy did I get into a good patch, I had both hands going, and I was picking faster than anyone else across the field. Within the first hour I had picked three crates. The second hour two more, and the third hour two more and I was quickly reaching my goal.

And then it happened..

How could such a small mistake end my motivation and extinguish my enthusiasm?

I came upon the biggest, brilliant, deep red, succulent strawberry. It was actually two that were stuck together, like Siamese twins there sides were completely joined.
I slowly picked it and held it to the sun, watched the reflection, and gazed upon its seeds placed so perfectly.I looked around, waited for a moment and then temptation over took me. It was so inviting, my mouth literally watered- I had to eat this strawberry. I slowly put it in my mouth and when I bit down the juice was heavenly, it was the best. The closest I’ve gotten to a nature high.

The rule was simple: do not eat the strawberries.

I vigorously began to panic but only for a few minutes, and it happened again. I couldn’t get the taste out of my mind and I ate strawberries for hours. I averaged 1 half crate as I ate for the next 4 hours. I was addicted, an addict I couldn’t get enough, and I needed help overcoming my weakness. That day ended with only 7 crates total, could it be that I ate 13 dollars in profit. Fortunately with much council, and discussion with my mother who also loved strawberries. I went to work a changed man.

The secret: Don’t eat a single berry, until the last five minutes of your day.

Sometimes in life, things, people, stuff is so enticing, we see it, we want it, we experience, and later addiction- we can’t stop. One is never satisfying, for example my are perfectly good cell phone is replaced by faster, sleeker, technological IPhone 6s plus.
The pretty little Mai Tai Drink turns into drunk. The need for speed results in a crash.
I have been challenged lately to ask myself a question, do I really need this strawberry? Or do I want it because it’s soooo appealing?
Would you join me in creating a strategy? Denying yourself something you don’t need. Maybe giving someone a hamburger and French fry that needs rather than buying myself a five dollar latte.

Here’s the ten cent remedy:

D- Be Determined
I-Imagine the end result
M- Don’t let others/things destroy your Motivation
E- Remembering Indulgence destroys our overall Enthusiasm for life.

Now that I’ve told you what not to do, here is my recent Mouthpainting.

ron straw.

GO AHEAD PICK A STRAWBERRY

P.S.

I don’t recommend eating a big bunch of un-rinsed fertilized berries. My mom didn’t know why I was throwing up so much red bile, and thought i was bleeding. It scared us both and I became almost strawberry sober.

To your inspirations,

Ron
ron strawberries

Watch out!! Dad!!

This is Ron Heagy with your motivational message,

On Christmas Eve I was totally excited to take my family on a new Christmas Adventure when the unexpected happened..

2015 has come and gone. For the most part I had a really good year. My daughters Gracie 11 years old and Roni 16 years old and I had a wonderful Christmas. One of our highlights was a trip to the Oregon Gardens. Oregon finest plants and boldest flowers placed in midst of majestic mountains. They feature a most spectacular Christmas light display. In one of nature’s most beautiful places you can walk trails and stop at the fire pits along the way to warm up. Gracie’s favorite part was the ice skating rink at the end of the trail.

When we arrived we were blessed with the last wheelchair accessible parking spot. I nudged my chin control wheelchair out of the van and on to the slippery pavement. It was very cold, and had started raining. I had my caregiver Alanna wrap my scarf around my head tightly. Feeling semi warm and extremely excited I yelled, “Let’s go girls.” I am of course the dad and I plowed forward into the lead. I felt confident in my trailblazing skills.

As I heading down the sidewalk leading straight into the gardens I suddenly felt my wheelchair launch-I was airborne. I was completely caught off guard, and blame the rain and dark pavement. But the truth is I had driven myself right off an 8 inch curb with my snoopy scarf blowing in the wind.
roni and Ron
It happened so fast, there was nothing I could do. The front of my chair began to dive in a downward direction. I could hear my girls with fear in their voices yelling daaaddddd. As I began my decent, the first thing to land was the front left wheel that inadvertently shot me in 180 degree direction to the right. I felt my body jerk against my chest strap which sent both of my hands flying upwards towards my face. As I was catapulting forward my face heading towards the ground. I thought it was time for the ‘Christmas lights’ to go out. But miraculously my chair flipped back and spun down flat on my wheels. Rocking back and forth from the impact, my body was sent into muscle spasms; arms and legs jerking uncontrollably. I sat there dazed for a few seconds, blood pumping through my veins full of adrenaline and not to mention complete embarrassment. I looked up at my daughters, and stated, “Who in the world put that there?” We laughed for a minute after realizing the close call.

What makes this story funnier is I had laughed at a friend doing the same thing a few years back. He went flying out of the doors of a building and he was mad and not paying attention so he went straight off the edge of the sidewalk. He was fine as well. Sitting there, unable to help him, I laughed and said. “You’ll never catch me doing that!”

Thank you Jesus for Christmas miracles. I was left upright instead of smashing my face into the pavement and sending me to the hospital for stitches.

2016 is here and like you I want each year to be a better year than the year before. Would you agree with me that the number 1 ingredient for making it our best year possible is to start with an attitude of gratitude? Join me in thinking a little more positive. Let’s turn the past losses into gains. I personally got to spend quality time with my daughters, family and friends. I am blessed, therefore I am extremely grateful. Although the problems, the paralysis, the painful past, doesn’t disappear as a human being we are given the unique ability to lift our heads up and see Christmas Miracles as they take place throughout the entire year.

As you think back on 2015, are there any miracles you can recall?

Tell your story. Someone is listening. You may be their inspiration.

To your inspirations,

Ron