Ronald E. Simmons - Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon: 15 Ways to Take Charge and Create a Path to Success

My good friend Ron Simmons has written brilliantly on the path to success in Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon. As Rons pastor, I have watched this man live his faith, lead his family, and love his God both in the public and private arenas. This is a book filled with real-life wisdom and inspiring faith. Let Ron take you for a ride in the little red wagon. It just might change your life.

DR. JACK GRAHAM, Senior Pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church

Ron Simmonss book Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon will be a game-changer for so many readers given his tremendous success in business and politics. His folksy style makes for an entertaining read. Most of all, the book is an inspiration for each of us to keep the right perspective on the right priorities in life.

DR. KEVIN ROBERTS, President, The Heritage Foundation

I have known and loved Ron Simmons for decades. His reputation is spotless, and his character is beyond reproach, which brings tremendous legitimacy to this intriguing and innovative book on leadership. Ron is a leaderat home, in the office, and in government. Wherever you find him he rises to the top and always with well-deserved respect. Climb into this little red wagon, grab hold of the handle, you are in for a great ride. Read it and reap!

O. S. HAWKINS, Former Pastor, First Baptist Church (Dallas), Author of the Bestselling Code Series of Devotionals including Bible Code and Promise Code

Weaving heartfelt, personal storytelling with applicable wisdom, Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon reads like a letter from a trusted mentor. Simmons offers his own setbacks and successes as a backdrop for an incredibly effective guide to personal and professional fulfillment. As a beneficiary of my dads advice over the years, I can assure you: youll be happy youve taken his words to heart.

ALLIE BETH (SIMMONS) STUCKEY, Host, Relatable Podcast and Author of Youre Not Enough and Thats Okay

Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon outlines the life lessons the author learned throughout his career and details his Horatio Alger story on how he overcame great obstacles from growing up poor in Arkansas to achieving great success as both a businessman and politician.

BILL QUINN, Founder and CEO (retired), American Beacon Advisors

My good friend and former colleague Ron Simmons is a great American and an exceptional human being! He has utterly nailed it with this book of great insights, heartwarming stories, and challenges for the reader! This book is a must-read, and I promise you it will be one you read again.

THE HONORABLE PATRICK FALLON, US CongressmanTX

Ron paints a beautiful picture of how life and success actually work. Through simple lessons, he weaves together how to take charge of your life to create a legacy bigger than yourself. A must-read for anyone who desires more out of life and is ready to get comfortable with being uncomfortable!

GREG SINDELAR, CEO, Texas Public Policy Foundation

Using the acronym A.C.T. (Action, Consider, Takeaway), Ron leads the reader on a purposeful journey to create a life and family plan, regardless of their situation. Rons analogy of his Radio Flyer childhood wagon is an excellent way to describe all the moving parts of life and their role in guiding the wagon forward in a positive direction, always keeping in mind all the wagons in your life (financial, family, spiritual, and career) and the roles they play in determining the outcome of the path you choose regardless of your circumstances. A must-read for everyone!

JAMES BALL. ED.D., B.C.B.A.-D.-LBA, President and CEO, JB Autism Consulting, LLC

Books give us the capacity to acquire knowledge from others. Rons experiences allow us to learn from his success and how to face lifes inevitable challenges with courage and perseverance.

CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL C. BURGESS, M.D.

This book is dedicated to my wonderful wife, Lisa, who has shared almost every step of my journey without ever making me feel that I did not have her love and supportno matter how many uncomfortable steps we had to take. Also to my children, Justin, Daniel, and Allie Beth, who, with their different personalities, have taught me so much about peace, perseverance, and passion. Thank you, and I love you.

E verything worthwhile in life is uphill. If something has value, the journey to achieving it is an uphill battle all the way to the top. Nobody accidentally climbed a mountain. We all have to work to get to higher ground.

That has certainly been true for Ron Simmons. I remember talking to him many years ago when he felt stuck in life. Ron was a successful businessman but wondered if there was something more out there for him. I encouraged Ron to take some time to reflect so that he could determine how to transition from success to significance. What came out of that time was Rons decision to go into public service. He became highly intentional and worked to make a difference.

You can learn from Rons story. Ron is just a regular guy who decided he wasnt going to settle in life. He has taken his ordinary life and gathered some pretty extraordinary ideas and thoughts, and hes put them into this book.

In some ways, Rons story isnt so different from mine. I grew up in rural Ohio the son of a pastor and a librarian. Ron grew up in rural Arkansas the son of public school teachers. But because of the solid values Ron embraced and applied to his life, his dreams have come to fruition. So can yours.

This book provides principles anyone can follow. Comparing his journey to that of a kid with a little red wagon, he inspires desire, growth, and intentionality. Apply these lessons to your life and see where your journey takes you.

John C. Maxwell

A s I pulled my Radio Flyer up the big hill near our house in Little Rock, Arkansas, I beamed with a new sense of freedom. The wagon wasnt shiny by any means. The red paint had lost some of its sheen, and the black rubber wheels were worn. I had received the wagon as a hand-me-down from my older brother, but I didnt see it that way. It was the mid-1960s and having something with wheels on it was pretty cool for a six-year-old. It indicated a big step in maturity, and I was happy to have it. I remember riding in it and pulling my toys around the neighborhood. I also had a sense of independence, which is what led me to the top of the hill. When I reached the peak, I aimed the red wagon toward the bottom, jumped inside, and shifted my weight to begin the descent. I learned a valuable lesson that day. As the wagon began rolling down the hill, the 16front wheels sputtered back and forth, shifting left and right. I was just a passenger, thinking the wagon would stay straight and provide a joyous ride to the bottom. All of a sudden, the wagon flipped over.

Thud! My chin hit the pavement, and the wagon went rolling.

I didnt realize it then, but my adventures in that red wagon would shape the way I would live my life. I learned that my little wagon had turned over because it didnt have anybody steering it. There I was, the wagons cargo, whipping down the hill with increasing velocitybut without direction. Isnt that a lot like life? I dont know that I learned my lesson that day, which the bumps and bruises throughout my childhood would indicate, but the red wagon became my guide. Looking back over my life, I realize that for certain seasons I needed to have my hand on the handle. I was in charge of the steering, and I decided where to go and what to do. At other times, I wasnt in charge. I was part of the cargo, being pulled along by someone else. Some of the time it wasnt even my wagon at all. It belonged to a friend or coworker or family member. My job wasnt to steer; my job was to push. I didnt get (nor was I looking for) the credit. Rather, I was pushing from behind with all I had in me. Its amazing how something so simplea box with four wheels and a handlecould become a gateway to adventure and opportunity, but thats just what my little red wagon did. It turns out that there are a lot of parallels to life, and whether yours is the great adventure its meant to be depends on how your wagon is loaded, whos pulling on the handle, and whos helping you on your journey. No matter where you are in life, you can find yourself occupying one of the wagons positionsthe handle, front wheels, rear wheels, cargo, or the pusher. The people who are most effectively living their lives are willing to shift and pivot to whatever position moves the wagon forward.