Jay's Reel World

In this episode we are joined by Tanaja. She is role model, especially for young women. She shares her daily doses of inspiration on Tik Tok. In her late 20s, she exudes a unique maturity and sensitivity. Tanaja took the time to read my book and shared some thoughts and insights with me.

Ever meet someone who is optimistic, has incredible curiosity, and is also very accepting of people?

Well, I would like to introduce you to one such person. His name is Jamie Polson, aka "Jamie the Optimist."

Jamie is a musician, writer, content creator, producer, and life adventurer.

I reached out to him after seeing a video he made about being "free" as he danced to one of his favorite songs.

Jamie did some research a couple of years ago to try and better understand himself. He discovered the umbrella word "Neurodivergent."

In this episode we talk about Jamie's personal revelations and insights.

Jamie's contact points:

Click on the link below to find all of Jamie's social media links, his music, and his Youtube channel.

https://linktr.ee/jamietheoptimistofficial

Today's guest is Jenn who founded an organization called Hope is a Survival Skill which is dedicated to sharing stories of hope after a lived (suicide) attempt or after the death of a loved one to suicide.

Jenn, an award-winning journalist, lost her huband to suicide in 2021. Through the processing of her own pain, Jenn was "called" to make a positive impact on the community and world.

Her website is: hopeisasurvivalskill.com

The following information was taken from the organization's website: Suicide isn’t just a word we whisper in the darkest corners of griefis a leading cause of death in the United States. Stories surrounding the topic of suicide tend to be easily found and often deal with high-profile deaths, or deaths which were publicly visible to a community. Now, compare this to stories about other leading causes of death – think heart disease, cancer, stroke, or diabetes. Stories highlighting these issues often include risk factors, prevention tips, survival and hope. With the topic of suicide, there is a healthy fear of contagion, or, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines it, “a process by which exposure to the suicide or suicidal behavior of one or more persons influences others to commit or attempt suicide.” Having worked in media for years myself, I often heard whispers of the fears behind contagion. “We can’t publish anything about those deaths,” they’d say. “It could catch on and glorify it,” a former boss once told me. I didn’t know much about it, so I nodded and continued about my day. But now, after losing my own husband to suicide, those kind of statements upset me. Why? Because Hope is a Survival Skill.

Social Media Contacts:

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HopeIsASurvivalSkill

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hopeisasurvivalskill/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hopeisasurvivalskill

This episode consists of a never before heard interview with Cornelius Lee Barker recorded on September 28, 2017 from my dialysis chair.

It was part of my series called "Dialing From Dialysis." I had reached out to some of the people in my life who had been through major adversity and came out the other side to do great things and help others. What had they been through? How had they overcome their challeges?

Cornelius Barker suffered from the lack of parental love. He joined a gang to gain acceptance and experienced more than his share of physical and mental abuse. The horrific treatment by the adults in his life played a large part in the bad life choices made. His gang membership alienated many adults in his life. They misunderstood and often punished him unfairly. He tried repeatedly to prove his intelligence and natural gifted talents, but met with disapproval and discouragement. For the most part, his life was one of searching for acceptance, recognition and respect.

Cornelius served as a classroom teacher and as administrator in both elementary and secondary schools. He has spoken to groups acrross the country and has visibly touched the hearts and minds of students, parents, teachers, PTAs and more.

In his retirement, he works with juveniles and young adults in an urban prison system using his extensive experience in research and lecture with that population to reach, teach and motivate his students to embrace education as a catalyst for restored hope and adoption of an altered perspective, and hopefully, a changed life.

Our guest on this episode is Rich Ruffalo. 

Rich is a dynamic motivator, author, educator, and internationally recognized athlete who inspires a wide range of
audiences everywhere, from children to adults and students to business gurus. Ruffalo is a true role model for all ages.

At age 32, Ruffalo lost his eyesight but never lost his“vision.” At the Walt Disney Company/McDonald’s American
Teacher Awards, Ruffalo was named both the Outstanding Coach of the Year and the Outstanding Teacher of the Year of
1995. Vice President Al Gore presented the award to him on nationwide television.

Ruffalo continues motivating every audience to a high level of inspiration while speaking to Fortune 500 companies,
schools, and conventions. In 1994 he was selected as one of five educators from the United States to be inducted into the
National Teachers Hall of Fame.

In addition, Ruffalo has won numerous honors and awards for his athletic ability. He is the winner of four different world
titles in shot put, discus, javelin, and powerlifting. He has earned 17 international gold medals, won 32 national titles, set
9 world and 15 national records, and has won 13 USA Track and Field Master’s State Titles against sighted competitors.
In 1988, the United States Olympic Committee named Ruffalo as the Disabled Athlete of the Year for athletic, civic,
and professional accomplishments. He is a three-time winner of the coveted Governor’s Cup Award and winner of the Victor
Award, the Academy Award of Sports, as the nation’s most inspirational athlete of 1989. In 1994, he was also inducted into
the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

Rich is the author of  "Ruff Road to Glory" and "The Seven P's to Positively Enhance Performance."

This episode is a conversation with Dr. Rob Gilbert. He is a distinguished professor of Sports Psychology at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

Dr. Gilbert is also a renowned motivational speaker and author. 

His "Success Hotline" has been going strong for thirty years. Each day he records a new motivational or inspirational message for his thousands of loyal listeners. Call (973) 743-4690 to reach the Success Hotline.

I have known Dr. Gilbert for twenty years. He is a legend.

Success Hotline is also available as a podcast on Apple: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/success-hotline-with-dr-rob-gilbert/id1532154557

This is Part 2 of "The Original Thief of Hearts" Episode recorded in November, 2021.

Vasilios Bill Sotiropoulos is still in need of a kidney transplant, but he continues to stay positive.

Bill has been sharing his creativity and love with the world through his paintings, jewelry designs and lipstick collection. 

In this Part 2 episode we learn about how Bill made a transition from the performance world to the corporate world. We also 

get to briefly meet his 21 year old son who was the brainchild for the his dad's social media launch which has reconnected him with 10's of thousands of fans and supporters.

Thank you for supporting Jay's Reel World Podcast.

Not making a mark is a good thing if you are an amazing phlebotomist who always gets the blood drawn on the first try without leaving a bruise on the patient's arm.

I was reunited this morning with an amazing phlebotomist at the blood lab whom I had not seen in several years. She is highly skilled and also a wonderful human being.

The world IS full of caring people. Thank you for caring about me. Love you all.

I am honored to welcome two special guests, Heather Platts and Bruce Michael Miller for our special Christmas episode called "The Big Give."

Heather and Bruce are partners in life and comprise the musical duo called Crazy Love.

Their latest album, "The Big Give", was inspired by Heather's kidney donation to Bruce in August 2019.

They discuss how magical and transformational the experience was for them. We also talk about their desire to spread the word through their story and music, not only about organ donation, but about the human connections that bring us closer together as a society.

Crazy Love Duo Website: https://crazyloveduo.com/

Heather Platt's Website is: https://heatherplattsmusic.com/

Our guest on this episode is Robert Lemon. He is a professional speaker, role model in the community and glad to call him a good friend.

Robert will discuss his new speaking program called "Lemon-Aid" which he has added to the list of featured presentations.

Thank you for your support.

Our guest on this episode is Vasilios Bill Sotiropoulos. Bill is the "Original Thief of Hearts"- a high profile performer and entertainer who found his way later into the corporate world in Toronto, Canada. I was connected with Bill through a friend and was alerted to Bill's urgent need for a kidney transplant.

This is a fascinating episode. Thank you for your support along this journey.

We welcome Brian Glennon as our guest on this episode of Jay's Reel World.

Brian donated his kidney at his local hospital transplant center on October 3, 2017. It was the ultimate act of kindness as Brian did not know anyone who was sick or in need of a kidney.  His gift to save a life ended up starting the longest kidney donation chain in United States history for a single hospital.

Through a series of unexpected connections, Brian later became a donor champion for me in my search for my own gift of life.

Thank you for your support. Please follow us on Anchor and Spotify and subscribe on Apple and Google Podcasts.

I am honored to have you along for the journey.

Bessings,

Jay

Eddie Brill is our special guest for this episode of Jay's Reel World. He is an award-winning stand-up comedian and former Entertainment Coordinator for The David Letterman Show. He was one of the people I reconnected with on my "Reconnection Tour" while I was on dialysis.

In this podcast, listen to some of Eddie recount some of his amazing career through the decades and how our meeting in 1997 helped to change the trajectory of my life.

Thank you for your support. I am honored to have you along the journey and hope you get "reeled" in to Jay's Reel World.

Our guest for this episode is Kyle Rogers who donated his kidney to save the life of his then 25-year-old daughter Kourtney.

November is "National Donor Sabbath" month which focuses on further spreading the word with those in faith-based communities 

National Donor Sabbath is observed annually two weekends before Thanksgiving, from Friday through Sunday. This three-day observance seeks to include the days of worship for major religions practiced in the United States. During National Donor Sabbath, faith leaders from many religions, donor families, transplant recipients, and donation and transplantation professionals participate in services and programs to educate the public about the need for the lifesaving and healing gifts passed to others through transplantation, while also encouraging people to register their decision to be organ, eye and tissue donors.

Thank you for your support.

Christopher Murphy is our guest on Jay's Reel World. The theme of "The Light at the End of the Tunnel" is significant to us both who have gone through major health challenges. Chris received his gift of life in the form of a kidney transplant on September 11, 2021.

Please hit the FOLLOW button, and turn on notifications. We are honored to have your support.

I started hemodialysis on March 2, 2017. There was a man sitting in the dialysis chair next to me named Joe.

"Joe's Last Performance" will be included in my soon-to-be-released book.

Thank you for listening and please don't forget to hit the FOLLOW button and turn on NOTIFICATIONS.

I am honored to have you as a listener. Thank you for your support.

Welcome to Jay's Reel World of interesting stories, experiences, and interviews. I am excited to share this amazing journey with you.