Today on Small Changes Big Shifts we have Ron Hall. Ron is the author of “SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME.” Now turned into a movie, it is the story of an international art dealer Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear) who must befriend a dangerous homeless man (Djimon Hounsou) in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife (Renée Zellweger), a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the most remarkable journey of their lives. Jon Voight plays Hall’s father, with whom he reconciles thanks to the revelations of his new life.
Ron Hall’s life was centered around a successful career as an international art dealer and a passion for his Rocky Top ranch on the Brazos River. All this changed in 1998 as a result of an encounter with a homeless man who was threatening to kill everyone in sight in the homeless shelter where Ron and his wife Deborah had begun to volunteer two weeks earlier.
This life-changing encounter, featured on many television and radio shows, inspired Ron to write his first book SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME, a story of hope and redemption. The word-of-mouth hit became a New York Times platinum bestseller and stayed on the list for more than three and one-half years.
In 2007, President Bush appointed Ron to the State Department Cultural Property Committee to advise the President on diplomatic matters regarding international art and antiquities. He served through December 2011.
Ron is a screenwriter and producer of the movie version of his book SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME. It was released in theaters across America by Paramount Pictures February 3, 2017. He also published SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME, Children’s Version, also known as EVERYBODY CAN HELP SOMEBODY.
Ron and his wife Beth reside in Dallas where they direct the Same Kind of Different as Me Foundation. into achieving better sleep and overall well-being.
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Life’s brevity is its greatest gift, reminding us to savor each moment and live with intention. Jodi Wellman, founder of 4000 Mondays, inspires us to embrace the finite nature of life as a tool for living boldly and purposefully. Drawing from her expertise as a positive psychology practitioner, Jodi shares how practicing gratitude, savoring everyday experiences, and creating meaningful routines can transform how we experience time. She challenges us to use the awareness of our limited Mondays not to stress but to prioritize joy, connection, and the things that truly matter.
Key Highlights:
- Use "mortality math" to heighten your awareness of time and create urgency to pursue meaningful goals.
- Shake up routines with novelty to add vibrancy and excitement to everyday life.
- Gratitude letters are a powerful way to deepen relationships and enhance personal well-being.
- Savoring the mundane—like enjoying a favorite drink or completing a simple chore—can provide surprising joy and fulfillment.
- Boldness and intentionality are essential for living a life that feels complete and regret-free.
About the Guest:
Jodi Wellman is a speaker, author, and facilitator on living lives worth living. She founded Four Thousand Mondays to help people make the most of the time they are lucky to be above ground.
Jodi has a Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also an Assistant Instructor in the Master’s program and a facilitator in the Penn Resilience Program. She is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach.
Jodi’s TEDx talk is called How Death Can Bring You Back to Life; with over 1.3 million views, it is the 14th most-watched TEDx talk released in 2022, out of 15,900!
Her book, "You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets" was published in May 2024 by Voracious (Little, Brown & Company) in the US and Canada, and by John Murray One in the UK.
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