“Hope Begins in the Dark” Review
Heart Clenching
Those are the best words to describe what I felt from reading this book by Jamie Reno. ”Hope Begins in the Dark” is a collection of the stories and experiences of 50 Lymphoma survivors and how they got through their deadly disease. Each survivor has their own insights on their survival formula both conventional and unique.
A little background on me before I get into the juice of this review. I am not a survivor nor have I ever had Cancer. I read this book front to back with very little knowledge about lymphoma with a mindset that I was willing to listen, learn, and get a better understanding of this disease.
Over a two week period I read Jamie’s book on the train ride into the center of NYC every day to work. Each one of those stories pushed me out of my comfort zone of thinking. I was thrown into their shoes and forced to look at life from a complete strangers perspective. How refreshing. I consider myself very even keel when it comes to my emotions but each time I read a survivors story I felt tears welling up in my eyes (kind of embarrassing on the train). It’s not because I was sad or felt sorry for anyone but rather I am truly inspired by those with a “Champion Heart.” Someone who sees past the “odds” and overcomes their own fears and miss comings to conquer THEIR WORLD. I used to think athletes were the only true champions but now I see that those athletes have nothing on someone who battled with death and overcame.
My favorite quote from the book came from page 266 by Peggy Martin, “Cancer is not a death sentence, it is a life sentence- it pushes you to live.”
Immediately from reading this book I have gained more appreciation for my own life and have begun to adopt the strategies that these survivors have incorporated into their lives after cancer. Each survivor found their own coping methods and ways to continue living. For instance, Joe Schneider wrote a Bucket List of items he wanted to accomplish in his life before he left this earth. When I read this section I had to stop and I was compelled to write my own bucket list that very second. For 2 hours I wrote down the top 50 things I want to accomplish before I pass. An exercise everyone should do for themselves. It helped me realize how much I want to do and that there is no time to waste.
Not only does this book help you understand what it is like to have Cancer but most importantly it teaches you how to move forward in your life without fear whether you have Cancer or not. Action, Appreciation, and Laughter are the 3 words that are most needed when overcoming obstacles.
When it comes down to it, no one really knows where their Cancer came from, how long they will live or if they will ever get it again. Emphasized in this book is that each person has control and gets to choose. The choice is LIFE.
I urge you to read this book and visit www.Hopebeginsinthedark.com.
Keep on Living
Brian Plante
How Cancer Survivors Helped me Live
I’ve been getting my reminders on a weekly basis as the time draws closer to May 18. It’s almost exactly 1 year since the day that turned my whole life around into a better direction. It flips my mind thinking back to one year ago and the progress, changes, and ideas that have come about from one day.
Last year I attended a fundraiser for the Empire Dragon Boat team. At the time I had no idea what a Dragon Boat was or why we were fundraising. I just went to support a good friend. When I got to Kenny’s Castaway, a small dive bar in NYC I immediately felt the energy that was in the room. It was new, fresh, excited, and full of hope.
The Dragon Boat team was a team of Breast Cancer Survivors and their mission was simple; stay positive and keep living life to the fullest. The more women I met and shared stories with the more confused and scared I became. I wasn’t truly living. I was pretending to know what I was doing with my life and I wasn’t even truly happy.
After that night I did a lot of self-reflection. The more questions I asked myself the more aware I became of my inner wants and desires. Inside I realized that I could use my communication skills to reach out and inspire others. How? Well that was to be determined.
I began by writing my first Ebook, titled Young Money: How We Must Develop our Youth (www.youngmoneythebook.com). During the process of writing about my parents’ way of guiding me as a young child I was sitting at Starbucks drinking an Ethos water (Free advertising). On the back of the bottle I read that $.05 from each water bought would be donated towards clean drinking water across the World. It hit me. Not only could I help others through my book but with each purchase I would donate money to the people who inspired me in the first place. Cancer Survivors.
I realized that when it came to Cancer there are three main areas that had or needed funding; the cure, treatment, and survivorship. Most of the money that is donated goes to the cure and treatment and it left survivors feeling forgotten. I wanted to get some of that funding to survivors and I decided to call it Mission Remission (www.supportmissionremission.com).
Of course in any great endeavor it takes a great team and I quickly joined forces with Emi Cerrillo (www.EmiliaCerrillo.com). Her expertise working with non-profits as well as her thousands of hours of volunteer efforts would meld perfectly with this campaign.
As we began interviewing Cancer Survivors (www.youtube.com/fitin2reality) and networking more into the Cancer Community we were able to have a better understanding of their issues and needs. We set out our goal to donate $1 million to Cancer Survivor Support Groups that are already established in the next 2 years. This way they could further their programs and take on more members.
As more and more people are getting diagnosed with Cancer each day, there are more people that are searching for help. With treatments getting better that means more individuals will survive Cancer, which means there is a need for more support groups for survivors.
As our project continues to move forward we have established our brand logo and have changed our website name to www.AccesstoSurvival.org to better get the message across that we want to help more people survive cancer and truly live their lives. We want to not only fund support groups but connect those affected by Cancer to the right support group for them.
We are in the stage of developing an inspirational product for those diagnosed with Cancer as a reminder to stay focused on survivorship. This is in conjunction with our current project to search for a Cancer Survivor who we feel has writing ability and a great story to share to help us with our blog and awareness promotions.
Access to Survival started with one seed of an idea which has transformed in one year into a whole new company that will become a powerful advocate for Cancer Survivors across America.
I hope to hear your stories and meet you in person.
Cheers
Brian Plante
P.S. Please Share this on your twitter of facebook to help spread awareness
2010 Wrap Up
Review, Reflect, Improve
I am a true believer in Karma. Many people ask me, what religion I am. I honestly say, I don’t know. I was baptized when I was too young to remember as a protestant but do I follow or study any religion, Nope. Do I believe in God? Yes, I believe in God and the universe but really I tell people I just follow my life through Karma. I believe whatever I put out into the universe will come back, both good and bad.
I have truly tried to take every experience as a learning experience. I feel there is always a deeper meaning or lesson when things don’t go right for me. I want to take some time to reflect back on 2010 with everyone reading and see what happened and maybe I will be able to determine my “karmic Path” for 2011.
January 2010 was brought in through a party in the Poconos with hundreds of friends. I had a drink for the first time in over 3 years because many of my friends said I needed to “loosen up.” At the end of the month I attended my first jewelry show in Savannah, GA where I was able to connect and build relationships with Jewelers across the country.
February 2010 is somewhat blank to me. Although, I did sell a 10 carat Cushion cut diamond. I know many wholesalers and retailers have never even seen a 10ct diamond never mind sell one, so I am very greatful to have accomplished such a feat. This ended up being my best month in sales for the entire year.
March 2010 was a huge turning point for me. At the end of the month while snowboarding I dislocated my left knee, the same knee I had acl reconstruction on 9 years prior. This left me on crutches for months. My active lifestyle slowed down and I began to reflect more heavily on all my life experiences. I remember telling myself “I really want to make sure I can still play sports.” I realized I have not been physically as active for a long time and I needed to get back into it.
April 2010 I joined a gym for a year so I could rehab my knee. Also, around this time I attended a Charity event for Breast Cancer Survivors to support their dragonboat team. They had a raffle and Cathy and I won three different prizes. This was one of the scariest days of my life because I met so many people that loved life more than I did. While on crutches we visited my grandmother and my family to celebrate 80 years of living. It was short but a very special occasion.
May 2010 I was very focused on my knee rehab. I got very consistent at the gym to build up my strength.
June 2010 was a critical time in my life. We had a jewelry show in Las Vegas and on the plane ride I was reading a book called Cash in a Flash. On the plane is when I was inspired to write my first book and where I did all my brainstorming. I began writing once I got back to New York City. At the end of June I decided to partner up with Emilia so she could help edit and write the book. 2 minds are better than one and ideas began to turn into action.
July 2010 we solitified our campaign: Support Mission Remission deciding to donate $1 million over a 2 year time period to Cancer Survivor Support Groups. By this time I was about half way done with the rough draft of the book.
Going into August 2010 my passion for writing was ignited. I had finished the entire rough draft early that month and I began to feel like a different person. I felt alive with the campaign in mind that we would be helping so many Cancer Survivors with our project as well as helping parents teach their children about making money with our book. I felt selfless and greed began to fade away. Also, during this trip we had a family vacation to San Diego. We went to Sea World and saw all the dolphins, and other sea creatures. We had a great time until later that evening when we learned the truth about Dolphin Captivity since we got introduced to the movie, The Cove.
September 2010 I took it upon myself to became more internet, web design, and graphic design saavy. I began 2 blogs, this being one of them and I forced myself out of my comfort zone to get the basics. I always hated trying to figure out tech related and computer issues but over the last few months I have a good grasp on everything.
October, November and December seem to be one big blur combined together to form Octovcember. Through this time we have begun our pre-launch of the campaign support mission remission along with my first book Young Money the E-Book. As I wind down tonight and reflect on 2010 I am grateful for all the challenges and opportunities. It was a wonderful setup year for 2011 and I hope I can help thousands of people any way possible. Happy New Year
Give without Expectations
Brian Plante
Support Mission Remission Press Release
Cancer Survivors Rejoice with the Added Support
With organizations across America focused on finding a cure for Cancer, many survivors feel forgotten and unimportant. Millions upon millions of dollars are raised and donated towards such organizations such as Susan G. Koman for the Cure. Unfortunately, there still has not been a cure even with funding that could create an army for a small country. With more and more survivors in remission they are in search of added support to keep their life moving forward.
Today, Brian Plante and Emilia Cerrillo announce the launch of their most recent campaign Support Mission Remission. This campaign is designed to help fund support groups for Cancer survivors that are already established throughout the United States. Brian is not a stranger to supporting Cancer Survivors. His grandmother is a two-time Breast Cancer survivor and he donates his time and energy when supporting a local Dragon Boat team of Breast Cancer Survivors.
“I’ve been truly inspired as I have heard the stories of these women. They have faced adversity, overcome all odds, and they have a love of life that I do not have. I feel the best way I can truly appreciate my life is to help give back to those who have survived so they can inspire others with their stories,” explains Brian Plante. “We designed the campaign to fund organizations that educate woman about physical activity, and nutrition but at the same time allows them to meet other survivors so they can gain strength and support from each other.”
Brian and Emilia have a few organizations already lined up that they will help fund but part of the campaign is for others to get involved by suggesting organizations that they are apart of. They are looking forward to have benefit parties when they donate to organizations. This will allow friends, family, and supporters to come together and celebrate life together.
Their current goal is to donate $1 million in the first 2 years to numerous organizations across America. Donation Amounts will range from $5,000-$15,000. Donations will be raised through the purchase of intellectual properties created by Brian and Emilia. The first of which is an E-book directed towards adults to help educate children about making money called Young Money. Their launch party and first benefit party will take place January 20, 2011 at The Empire Hotel Rooftop at 6pm. They will be awarding their first donation to The Empire Dragon Boat Breast Cancer Survivor Team located in New York City.
“We are thrilled to be able to give back and show our support to these champions. They truly deserve all the help they can get so they can move past this obstacle and live a healthy, cancer free life,” says Emilia.
With many already in Remission they hope this will allow more survivors to come together and use their strength in numbers to create more support groups. To donate, learn more, or suggest an organization visit www.SupportMissionRemission.com .
About Brian Plante
Brian Plante is an author, diamond wholesaler, and entrepreneur. He is the Founder of Fitin2Wealth Inc. which is a company designed to provide lifestyle knowledge such as volunteering, purchasing diamonds, and teaching children about making money through websites such as www.BriansBrainStorm.com and www.Fitin2Diamonds.com. For interviews or more information contact Brian via email at BPWellness@gmail.com.
About Emilia Cerrillo
Emilia Cerrillo is an event planner, editor, and entrepreneur. She is the co-founder of Azul Fire LLC a corporation that provides event planning solutions to all industries. Most of her work has been done with charities, law firms and music artists. For interviews or more information contact Emilia at www.AzulFire.com, or through email at Emi.Cerrillo@gmail.com
Forget New Years Resolutions
2011 To Do List
As we begin to wrap up 2010 I took some time this weekend to sit back and just reflect on the year. My mind has been shaped and opened tremendously this year. I have taken new steps towards helping others. I took a look at my 2010 To Do List and I accomplished half of my list. Most people don’t complete any of their resolutions and most only have 1 resolution. I tried to sit back and figure out how I was able to complete half (already an accomplishment) at the same time wondering why I was not able to finish up the other half this year. 2011 for me needs to be a year of accomplishment. I want to progress forward in all areas of my life, health, wealth and relationships and I want my To Do List to reflect this aspect. This year I have started 2 new companies and Branding is at the top of my list. I am very analytical and I love to track my progress to see what I am doing right and wrong and what I can change to become better.
Looking forward, I want to be very reasonable with my goals for this year. Usually I get a big ego and try to pump myself up to do much more than I’m physically and mentally capable of during the year. I finally understand how important it is for my life to be balanced and to take some time to myself every now and then. As I begin to plan out 2011 I want to give you a few of the areas of my life I will be working on and give you some ideas for your 2011 To Do List. Whatever you Focus on will come to fruition.
- I am setting a specific goal of what number I want to build my credit up to.
- I have a goal for how much money I would like to donate this year.
- I have a goal for how much I would like to have in my savings account.
- I have a sales goal for each month for all of 2011 for the Wholesale Diamond Business
- I have a commitment to myself to visit my family in Massachusetts and Rhode Island more times this year.
These are just a few as of now. It is only a rough draft but my suggestion is take your time to really plan out your year. A lot can turn around in just 2 years but you must make decisions, plan it out, and execute it. No more resolutions, let’s just turn it into a To Do List.
I want to hear what is on your 2011 To do List?
Brian Plante
Business from the Inside Out
Enjoy the Process
Last night I had an amazing dinner at a Cuban Restaurant in Queens called Rincon Criollo. The food was amazing but what really made the experience enjoyable was the service Cathy and I received from our waiter. He was glowing and excited. He went above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to service and I ended up tipping him 25% because of his service. I’m not writing this to talk about a great restaurant with a great waiter but what I learned from my experience that evening.
After finishing our dessert’s (Flan and Guava) we ended up staying for another hour chatting with our waiter since no one else was eating. We began asking him about the photos on the wall that were taken back in the 1940’s in Cuba.
Our waiter Rudy, lit up as he told the story of the restaurant and how he is connected. His grandfather and great uncle began the restaurant in Cuba and did very well. They came to American and started over opening up the same restaurant in Queens. Rudy, the grandson was born in America but was forced to learn Spanish from his family. He completed his schooling with a degree in hospitality and in his mind he assumed he would come right out of college and begin to run the family restaurant business.
The family had other plans. They built the business from the ground up, one customer at a time and they were in no rush to hand it over to an over-zealous young gun with little experience. When Rudy arrived he had the privilege of working his a$$ off. They told him, when he is ready to run the restaurant he must know the business from the inside out, if anything were to happen he needs to be able to step in and take control of every aspect of the business.
And so his learning process began. First he was put in the basement to peel potatoes, yucca, and plantains’. He spent a few months mastering the preparation side of the business. Once mastered, he was thrown into the war-room, the kitchen. He worked with all of the chefs, some there for over 17 years, learning how to make each and every single dish to perfection. These recipes were brought from Cuba to America and were not to be altered. After months becoming a chef he has now finally been able to put his face in front of the customers as a waiter. As he master’s his duties as a waiter his process continues until the day he will finally be full owner of Rincon Criollo.
I was reminded of the Law of Process with his story. To do things right takes time and you must earn your trust and loyalty with others. It is much easier to come from the inside and eventually run a business instead of being an outsider coming to “Control” a business. We all must remember to pay our dues in life and be the best at every level of the learning process. Because of his energy I will be visiting the restaurant many times in my life and I made a new friend. I hope we all remember the process in life and take our time without getting frustrated.
Enjoy your process.
To get connected with them you can Search Rincon Criollo on Facebook Pages.
Brian Plante
Group Volunteering
Give Just to Give
I really enjoy the holiday season and I have made it a tradition to volunteer my time and energy on Thanksgiving and a week before christmas. I know it is not a lot but it is better than not volunteering at all. I just wanted to share with you the reader why I volunteer and what I get out of giving back.
Two days ago a whole bunch of us that you see in the picture above went to The Hudson Guilds Thanksgiving morning. This a senior center where anyone 55 and older can come to for activities, companionship, and food. During the holidays many come to the center because they don’t have family to visit and most of their friends are others that attend the center as well.
We attended the event to hand out a thanksgiving dinner to those who showed up, put up decorations and most importantly to visit with those who showed up. I really enjoy the time volunteering for the reason that I get to listen to the stories of others. You can learn from everyone and meet so many interesting people. Both the others that are volunteering as well as the seniors that attend the event. I love asking them questions and hearing their perspectives on life and it is amazing to see how open and knowledgeable others can be if you just take time to listen.
My experience from this last time volunteering was very eye opening. I was able to hear the stories of 3 unique ladies. First was an older women who in her earlier days worked for NASA. She was part of their research and development team. She spent her years there designing items for space travel that would work in zero gravity. An example would be a toilet that would flush our waste while in space. She loved her job and she loved speaking about it. As she spoke the woman to the left of me began to explain short hand to me.
Both woman studied short hand growing up and gave me an example of what it looked like. To me it looked like gibberish and a bunch of scribble but they were able to show me how each little line represented a word. Of course we no longer need short hand because we have tape recorders but she used to use it while working for a law firm. After she retired she got to pursue her passion. She became a tour guide for New York City up until the 9/11 attacks. She really enjoyed New York and was so thankful that she lived here her entire life.
The last woman I was able to speak with was truly inspired. She has a passion to write a book about her life. She grew up in Peru and had many life experiences that led her to find ways to make it to America. She feels she learned many life lessons on her journey and she wants to share those experiences with everyone.
I was only there for about 5 hours but it was a great time and we were able to put smiles on so many faces. I urge you to find activities that you enjoy and give back at the same time. It could be building a swing set for a neighborhood playground, raking leaves at your local church or just stopping by a hospital to visit with sick children. No matter what you choose the benefits are for both parties and everyone will gain from these experiences.
Give Back Today
Brian Plante
One Good Book in Everyone
First Book Complete
The beginning of June 2010 I was on a flight to Las Vegas for the largest Jewelry show of the year. It’s a pretty long flight, about 6 hours and I took the time to do what I love best, read and learn. I was reading a book called Cash in a Flash by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen. A must read. Well I guess the looking out into the sky with no boundaries allowed my mind to become more open. As I read, one of the chapters talked about writing a book and that every person has at least one good book in them. At that moment, thousand of thoughts started racing to my brain. I grabbed a notebook and for the last 2 hours of the flight I started brainstorming my ideas for my first book.
I knew I wanted a book that would educate, inspire, and help others. It would give me a chance to be open and heartfelt while giving back. I decided at that moment that I would be an author, period. During the jewelry show I could not get the ideas out of my mind. Instead of holding it in, I felt more accountable if I told people close to me about my plans. First, I told my boss and two co-workers that I was planning to write my first book. Luckily, they thought it would be a great idea and my boss assured me he would purchase the first copy. That was all the support I needed to jump start my writing.
When I arrived back to New York I had tons of brainstorming and it was time to get writing. I figured the best option would be to just start typing and get my ideas more concrete. I started chipping away at the book, and my first week and a half I was able to get about 3 chapters completed. I was still excited but I needed more drive.
After a banquet with an organization I worked with in New York City, my intuition told me to contact my good friend Emilia. We have a very interesting background together over the past 5 years. I don’t have enough time to tell the whole story but to keep it short we went through some of the toughest years of our lives as roommates and friends. I knew I could trust her and her abilities with words are deniable. We quickly teamed up and cast our vision for a book as well as a company beyond my original thinking.
Together we came up with Support Mission Remission. Instead of just writing a book and selling it we realized we both have a passion for giving back. We came to a conclusion that we would begin a campaign to donate $1 million in two years to fund and support groups for cancer survivors in remission. With this newfound goal and mission my passion was ignited and I haven’t looked back since.
I’m writing today because the book has just been finished being edited, making me an official author. Just a thought in early June turned into reality in November. We are now getting ready to launch our website and campaign at www.supportmissionremission.com and make our first donation at our Launch Party January 20,2011.
I truly believe that everyone has one good book inside them. It’s simple, find something that is easy for you to talk about, brainstorm, and start writing a little bit each week. Don’t overwhelm yourself, just have fun with it. If you stay consistent with the process you will have a book in just a few months. I encourage you to start today.
Cheers to the author inside you
Brian Plante
Follow: @Baplante
How Athletes ReBuild Their Tarnished Image
Forgiveness comes with Focus
I had to write this post after watching Monday Night Football this week. Michael Vick was tearing it up on the football field and had a record-breaking day. The announcers mentioned that it was only about a year ago that he just gotten out of jail after being there for around 18 months. They were explaining how people seemed to want him to do well and how he was progressing in his craft.
It caused me to look back over the past few years and try to figure out how athletes who make big mistakes overcome their hardships and propel themselves to a better status. At times I think it is crazy how quickly we forgive and forget because this person is a “pro athlete.” Other people in our lives can make the same mistake and we would never forgive them and probably do anything possible to get them out of our life. Athletes such as Alex Rodriguez, Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, and Kobe Bryant are people that in my view made more than just a “mistake.” I feel what they did are flaws in character. There different situations where not just by accident, they were planned acts that they would have continued to pursue if they were not caught.
So why are these athletes gaining even more popularity? How are they even still on the map?
Three actions that make this possible are very clear to understand. They must be in the following order to be done properly.
1. Admit
To begin the image rebuilding process, first step is just to admit his/her wrong doing. The ones who deny and try to hide their issues only dig a deeper hole and lose trust more quickly. Let’s face it, you got caught, fess up. Don’t make it worse.
2. Apologize Openly in Public
The second step is probably the toughest step these athletes can venture into. If they want to ever earn money from endorsements ever again, and try to rebuild their image, they must apologize. We have seen these apologies. It is not a simple letter posted on a website. An athlete must sit with an interviewer such as Barbara Walters on Prime Time television and apologize to millions of friends, fans, and spectators at once. To be effective they have to be heart felt, open, and honest about it. When this happens, the most amazing thing happens, America Forgives. Maybe not all at once but we find a way to respect a man/woman who is willing to admit his fault and put himself out there to make it right. This does not make the actions right, but in our hearts we see a way to connect with their faults and say “It happens.”
3. Focus on their Craft
The third step is most crucial for an athlete to help others forget and to rebuild their image. If we look back to many of these athlete mistake instances, we notice that afterwards they become better athletes. It’s amazing. Part of their process to be forgiven is to put all their attention and focus on their sport. They hone their skills, practice harder and find a way to get on a winning team. As viewers, we see this athletic improvement and it tricks our mind that if they improved athletically than they must have changed and become a better overall person. Quickly, we begin to favor these athletes and support them because of their “growth.”
Unfortunately, we really don’t know if they have grown personally. I’m sure some athletes have improved their character a bit, but I’m sure others still use their athletic performance to fool us into thinking they are a role model once again. I would like to hear your thoughts on this process. Leave some comments below.
Be bold enough to speak your mind
Brian Plante
When Do We Stop Learning?
Continued Education aka Self Taught
I want to start this by asking, are you still continuing to learn, grow, and improve as you get older? When do or did you stop actively learning and acquiring new knowledge? When you really sit back and think about it and can be scary. In school we go through years of actively gaining knowledge and practicing new ideas daily. We get excited with new thoughts, new potential and a vast array of possibilities.
I bring this up because of my travels through New York City. I get to take personal surveys daily just by observing the millions of people around me, how they act, what they say, and what they do with their down time. I hear of people getting stuck in a personal rut in life, caught in the rat race, and just plain unhappy. Some have prestigious degrees, high paying jobs, while others may have just arrived in New York with pennies in their pocket.
Personally, I am a college dropout. I went to St. Anselm College for 1 year and a few months, made the Deans’ list with a 3.6 GPA and decided I had enough. My motto has always been constant improvement. Although many people think they are better off because they have attended more college, I easily disagree. Once we stop learning, we are dead. That’s it, are life becomes useless, there is no more adding to this world instead you become stagnant and your old ideas become obsolete. So the question is…how do we continue learning growing and adding to our world. Here are a few tips that I do that keeps my life exciting, fresh, and keeps my mind working overtime.
- Read, Read, Read. Don’t fill our downtime only with television but find subjects to learn about. I read a little bit of everything. I read personal improvement books which give me methods and concepts on how to be a better person. I actively engage myself in the reading and work on applying the knowledge. I enjoy Leadership books so I can learn how to better work with others and communicate effectively. I always try to read books about other successful people so I can learn how they “made it.” Since I live in New York City, I read on the train to and from work and I currently digest one book per week. Occasionally, I will reread a book, 1 year later. It is amazing how the information changes and has a different meaning to me after I have been applying new principles in my life and I have had new experiences.
- Reflect. Take 30 minutes each week to think about what you did that week. It is really simple but it helps me realize changes I can make. If you realize nothing new happened than you better do something next week to spice your life up. It’s a time for your mind to get creative and improve each week of your life.
- Network. One of my favorites. The way I choose to meet new people and network is by getting involved with new activities. For me it could be joining a flag football team or attending a Charity event. Then once I’m there I enjoy listening and asking questions. I don’t try to impress others with me, instead I work on being interested in others and learning about their expertise. It’s a lot of fun. I work very hard on being open and trying new things. If I get invited to a new event, no matter how different it is I keep my mind open and put in my 100%.
There are other ways to keep learning, growing and improving and feel free to share what you do with some comments below. For now, work on these few ideas. Have fun and keep learning.
Brian Plante
@Baplante